After about two months of staging demonstrations in support of their demands, the Anganwadi workers withdrew their protest on Tuesday after receiving certain assurances from the department.
According to state president of Anganwadi workers Rekha Negi, “Mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ came to meet us as a representative of the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat along with BJP’s Mahanagar head Sitaram Bhatt and assured us that a committee will be formed for Anganwadi workers and our allowance will be raised too from our new session that begins in April. Therefore we are suspending our protest till March 10”
Regarding the termination letters issued to some of the protesting Anganwadi workers, Negi said that we have been assured that all the Anganwadi workers would be called back to their job and besides, there will be no deduction in their allowance of the two months period of their protest.
According to the director of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Jharna Kamthan, “No decision has been taken yet by the department and the decision regarding the joining of terminated Anganwadi workers will be taken by the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO).” However CDPO Anju Badola said that she was awaiting instructions from the department regarding the reinstatement of terminated Anganwadi workers.It is pertinent to mention here that the strike of Anganwadi workers had affected execution of various government schemes during the past two months. Besides, more than ten Anganwadi workers have been hospitalised by Doon police due to health concerns after they undertook fast unto death. The duo from Rudraprayag- Rajju Batola and Surji Negi also broke fast on Tuesday after the suspension of the protest.