Former minister and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir has criticized the BRS government for "not addressing the demands of the Anganwadi workers".
Shabbir Ali participated in a 36-hour-long strike held by Anganwadi teachers and helpers near the Kamareddy Collectorate today and pledged his full support to them.
Speaking on the occasion, he alleged that there was a conspiracy to undermine the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and other related schemes due to inadequate funds from the BJP government at the Centre. He said that the BRS government did not object to those moves by the Centre, which could harm the employment of Anganwadi employees.
Shabbir Ali also pointed out that the State government was not following the Supreme Court verdict regarding the payment of gratuity to Anganwadi employees. Additionally, support pension and Kalyana Lakshmi schemes for Anganwadi employees were cancelled after they demanded payment of gratuity, TA, DA and increments, he said.
He also emphasized that the majority of the 70,000 Anganwadi workers across Telangana were women who belonged to the weaker sections of society. Despite serving the poor people for the last 40 years through ICDS, they did not have a minimum wage, pension, ESI or job security, he lamented. He also criticized Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for re-designating Anganwadi workers as teachers but not giving them the same salaries as teachers or necessary facilities.
Shabbir Ali promised that the Congress would accept all the demands of the Anganwadi workers and solve their problems within the two months if the party came to power in the next Assembly elections.
Kamareddy DCC President Kailasa Srinivasa Rao and other senior leaders also participated in the dharna.