CITU to protest against ICDS privatisation & Anganwadi workers not declared regular
The meeting of the Himachal Pradesh State Committee of CITU related to the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union was held at CITU State Office, Kisan Mazdoor Bhavan, Chitkara Park, Shimla. CITU State President Vijender Mehra, General Secretary Prem Gautam, Union Vice President Himindri, General Secretary Veena Sharma, Bimla, Kiran Bhandari, Godavari, Sudarshana, Kshama, Manju, Champa, Nirmala, Meena Mehta, Ritesh, Asha, and Rajni, etc were present in the meeting.
Union Vice President Himindri and General Secretary Veena Sharma have said that Demand Day will be celebrated across the state on July 10 regarding the demands of Anganwadi workers. On this day, workers will protest by wearing black badges, black dupattas, or black clothes against the anti-Anganwadi policies of the Modi government. Anganwadi workers will organize a big campaign in the month of July-August to get a gratuity facility. On August 9 and 14, the workers will attack the Modi government with the help of other organizations regarding their demands. Hundred percent recruitment in pre-primary, abolishing the condition of 45 years in this recruitment, validating the degree of any recognized university in India for the appointment of supervisor, immediate recruitment of matriculation and graduation personnel on the basis of seniority as supervisor, Status of a government employee, giving salary and seniority benefits on the lines of Haryana, giving medical and other holidays on the lines of Punjab, making retirement age 65 years, upgrading all mini Anganwadi centers to the status of full Anganwadi center, proper financial support for uniform Conspiracy to privatize ICDS by handing over ICDS to Vedanta company in the guise of providing assistance, mobile recharge, and stationery facility, the ban on deduction of salary during medical or illness, demand to remove problems of nutrition tracker app and construction of Nand Ghar. Will hit the streets against Direct Benefit Transfer, Nutrition Tracker App and 30 percent budget cut.
CITU State President Vijender Mehra and General Secretary Prem Gautam have warned the central and state government that if ICDS is privatized and Anganwadi workers are not declared as regular employees, then the movement will intensify. They have demanded the withdrawal of the new education policy as it is anti-ICDS. The new education policy actually has a hidden agenda of privatization of ICDS. Privatization under the guise of Nand Ghar to hand over ICDS to Vedanta Company will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Due to this, workers will have to lose their jobs in the future. He has demanded the central government to regularize the Anganwadi workers as per the recommendation of the 45th Indian Labor Conference held in the year 2013. He has demanded that Anganwadi workers should be given salary and other facilities on the lines of Haryana. He has demanded the implementation of pension, gratuity, medical, and leave facilities for Anganwadi workers. They have demanded that Anganwadi workers should be given the responsibility of teaching pre-primary classes and young children under the new education policy as they are highly trained personnel. In lieu of this, their salary should be increased and they should be regularized.
