Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 11: Anganwadi Workers Welfare Association (AWWA), Jammu and Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today alleged that police mis-behaved with the peacefully protesting female Anganwadi workers and helpers in Jammu on Thursday.
Addressing a joint press conference here today, leaders of AWWA and BMS, Swarna Choudhary, Ashok Choudhary, Neelam Sharma and Roshu Sharma alleged that hundreds of Anganwadi workers and helpers were protesting near Press Club Jammu on Thursday demanding release of their seven months pending wages and increase in their monthly remuneration. But unfortunately, the police forcibly dragged them, misbehaved and detained illegally for long time. They said there were very less number of lady cops and mostly male cops were seen policing on the spot. Many workers and helpers were pushed and dragged during protest. They condemned the police action and said that action should be taken against the cops by the senior officials.
They pointed out that Anganwadi workers and helpers are without wages since April 2022 and moreover, they are being paid just Rs 5100 per month and helpers just Rs 2450 while in the neighbouring states the Anganwadi workers are being paid more than Rs 10,000 per month as wages. The state share being provided to the workers in J&K is just peanut amount and it is needed to be enhanced.
Ashok Choudhary said that there is strong resentment among the workers against the higher authorities in the ICDS as they have failed to clear the pending wages of the employees. They were protesting for their hard earned money which is being denied by the LG Administration, but now the UT Government wants to crush the protesting workers’ agitation and silence their voice.
They alleged that Mission Director ICDS and even the Commissioner/Secretary, Social Welfare Department have failed to address the long pending issues of the protesting workers and helpers. The issue was brought to their notice several times. The leaders sought intervention of Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha into the matter and requested that their wages be released and monthly remuneration increased as done in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
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