ANGANWADI Workers scored an emphatic victory over an unwilling Chandrababu Naidu government as the GO effecting hike in honorarium for them was issued on February 6, 2016.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 and it will be implemented from April 1, 2016.

The hike may be modest but it has come only after bitter and protracted struggles as the government has been adamant on the genuine demands of the workers. The ‘Chalo Vijayawada' programme that was organised demanding implementation of the wage hike was brutally attacked by the state government. It reneged on its promise of implementing the wage hike from September 1, 2015 and dilly-dallied on the issue by saying that the cabinet sub-committee will look into the demand of wage hike.

In support of their long pending demands, the CPI(M) leaders also plunged into the Chalo Programme. Police deployed additional forces near the CM camp office. The police lathi-charged the workers when they tried to besiege the camp office and a majority of the workers were injured in the melee and some of them fainted on the spot. The police arrested at least 200 workers. Many women workers suffered grave injuries as police indiscriminately caned on them. Injured women were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals. Despite this, the workers stood their ground and bravely resisted the frontal attack on them.

The success of ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ programme was a slap on the face of Chandrababu Naidu government which spared no efforts in trying the foil the same. Unable to stomach the fact that workers braved against all odds to participate in the chalo, the government issued an order saying that jobs of those who participated in the chalo will be removed. It tried to intimidate the workers by resorting to identification of workers who participated in the chalo through CCTV cameras, video footage etc.

This move was widely resisted by all sections of the working class across the state and roundtable meetings were organised by the CITU along with other unions which unanimously passed resolutions condemning the vindictive attitude of the government. All the unions in the state warned the government with dire consequences if it adopts this vindictive attitude.

Sensing the simmering unrest among the workers, the government quietly issued the GO effecting wage hike. It is an irrefutable fact that the government intends to dilute the ICDS by handing over the anganwadi centres to NGOs and other agencies in a phased manner. The anganwadi workers have to be vigilant against all such nefarious machinations in the days to come.