Police took more than a hundred Anganawadi Worker and Helpers to custody during their protest here on Friday.
Police courted arrest Anganwadi employees when they started a Jail Bharo agitation and tried to enter the Collector’s office forcibly.
Notably, the employees, under the banner of All Odisha Anganawadi Ladies Workers Association, affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sanga(BMS), had been sitting on a Dharana at the Collectorate from November 26 against the State Government’s apathy towards their demands.
Their demands include hike in monthly salary to Rs 18,00 0 for Workers and to Rs 9,000 for Helpers, provision of pension and other retirement benefits, informed a release of the association.
The release further informed that last year, the agitating women workers had withdrawn protests on assurances of the Chief Secretary and the department Secretary. After 42 days, their salary was increased by Rs 2000 and the Chief Minister assured them to fulfill other demands in the next two months.
As the demands were not met after six months, the women workers resumed protests on November 26.