Accusing the State Government of being unconcerned toward their problems while treating them like bonded labourers, the Anganwadi workers have decided to approach the Uttarakhand High Court this week.
According to the president of Anganwadi workers association, Rekha Negi, the government made various promises to the workers across the State but none of them were fulfilled by the administration.
She alleged that the government had been using the Anganwadi workers like bonded labourers who do not receive proper payments and treatment as per their jobs. Furthermore, she also stated that the government has recently commenced the process for the direct recruitment of 110 supervisor positions but this recruitment procedure has several shortcomings which are preventing the recruitment of deserving candidates.
Negi stated that one of the conditions for being eligible for the supervisor position is to get a ten-year work certificate from the child development project officer (CDPO) concerned but several workers are not being issued this certificate easily.
Meanwhile, she also added that the government is also not paying their allowances for the two-month protest period stating that it will promote the obstinate attitude of workers that they displayed during the protest. "We withdrew our protest when the representative of the government asked us to suspend the protest and promised to make a committee for resolving our issues by March.
We were also promised that we would be paid the allowance of two months besides other assurances but none of them was fulfilled by the administration.
Therefore, the only option we have left is to approach the High Court for justice to all the Anganwadi workers who are working across the State for decades but still nobody hears them in present Government," stated Negi. She also informed that she has discussed everything with lawyers and will file petition this week.