By Mehboob Ali
Vikarabad: Several Anganwadi workers, including the Telangana Anganwadi Teachers and Helpers Union (CITU) general secretary of P Jayalakshmi, were detained by Vikarabad police on their way to besiege the residence of chief minister Revanth Reddy on Friday, June 5.
The Anganwadi workers were agitating over unfulfilled promises. The previous government had assured the Anganwadi workers of increment of salaries and retirement benefits. The trade union leaders slammed the Congress government for not delivering the promises made to the Anganwadi workers by the former Bharath Rashra Samithi (BRS) government led by former CM KCR.
The police allegedly manhandled the trade union activists gathered seeking solutions for the ongoing dispute over the retirement benefits of Anganwadi workers.
The rally of the left-wing trade union from the Kodangal bus stand destined for the chief minister’s Kodangal residence was intercepted by the police force. The Anganadi workers who continued their protest at the Kodangal Square were allegedly manhandled by the police, injuring union leaders P Jayalakshmi, Narsamma and several others.
“Before the Assembly election, the BRS government agreed to set the retirement age of Anganwadi workers as 60. During our negotiation, Harish Rao, Sathyavati Rathod and other cabinet ministers had assured us to increase the retirement benefits to two lakhs for teachers and one lakh for helpers. The government changed after the election. After seven months, they want to send all those who have crossed 65 years of age to their homes from July 1. We demand the promised retirement benefits before their retirement,” Telangana CITU general secretary, Paladugu Bhaskar, told Siasat.com.
The trade union condemned the police action and said it was cruel to bring a new GO to send all those above 65 years ruthlessly home from July 1, paying very little money. They warned of launching a large-scale movement if their demands are not met.
The detained workers have been taken to Daulatabad and Kodangal police state station.
