THOUSANDS of anganwadi workers, under the banners of CITU and AITUC, took out a massive rally from Tumallapalli Kalakshetram to lay siege to the chief minister’s camp office in Vijayawada, demanding immediate solution to their long-pending grievances. The anganwadi workers on December 18 organised ’Chalo Vijayawada' programme to seek implementation of the wage hike assurance. The Chandrababu government reneged on its promise of implementing the wage hike from September 1 and dilly-dallying on the issue by saying that a cabinet sub-committee will look into the demand of wage hike. The state cabinet in its meeting on December 16 also didn’t address the issue of wage hike of anganwadi workers. This procrastination made the hapless anganwadi workers restless and they gave the call for ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ on December 18.

In support of their long pending demands, CPI(M) state secretary P Madhu and Capital Region committee convenor Ch Babu Rao and YSRCP leader Parthasarathy picketed on the road and raised slogans against chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for his inability to accept genuine demands of the workers. Police power was in full display as they deployed additional forces near the chief minister’s camp office. However, tussle between the police and workers occurred when they tried to besiege the camp office and majority of the workers were injured in the melee and some of them fainted on the spot. The rally turned violent as police tried to stop it and arrested at least 200 workers. Many women workers suffered injuries as police indiscriminately lathicharged them. The injured women were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals for providing first-aid. Subarammma, an anganwadi worker of Kurnool district, sustained critical injury during the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, P Madhu strongly condemned the arrest of the anganwadi workers, saying that the latter were fighting for their legitimate rights. He alleged that the TDP government had turned a blind eye to the woes of anganwadi workers and demanded that the chief minister hike their wages to safeguard their interests. Police arrested Madhu, Capital Region committee convenor Ch Babu Rao and others.

As many as 200 anganwadi workers were taken into custody at various railways stations including Amadalavalasa, Palasa, Itchapuram, Ponduru, Rajahmundry and Eluru when they were moving to participate in the ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ programme to step up pressure on immediate implementation of wages which were announced recently. The Chandrababu government had to declare in the Assembly effecting hike in the honorarium of anganwadi workers, helpers and mini-anganwadi workers due to the pressure exerted on them from all quarters.

The honorarium of anganwadi workers has been enhanced from the existing Rs 4,200 a month to Rs 7,000, while that of anganwadi helpers from Rs 2,200 to Rs 4,500. Chandrababu stated that the state will have an additional burden of Rs 311.12 crore on account of the proposed hike and his  government had decided to enhance the wages of anganwadi workers despite financial constraints facing the state. However, citing financial constraints it was announced that the hike would be affected from April 1, 2016. It is a travesty of justice that the government has no financial constraints in dealing with Singapore-based companies for the construction of capital at Amaravathi but constrained to effect hike of honorarium of meagerly paid women workers, who are instrumental in ameliorating the nutritional deficit of children and pregnant women.

The ’Chalo Vijayawada' agitation exposed the hollowness of claims of Chandrababu that he will devote all his energies for the upliftment of below strata women in the state. This repression on anganwadis will dispel the myths of some sections of people, who nursed illusions about the TDP government and prompt them to join the struggles of the working class.