Srinagar: Anganwari workers and helpers today hit streets to protest against the government decision of disengaging 918 helpers, workers and supervisors in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) of the Social Welfare department.
Shouting slogans “we want justice, don’t snatch our livelihoods” dozens of the ICDS workers and helpers assembled at Press Enclave this afternoon and staged a protest against the decision to disengage 918 helpers to supervisors.
They alleged the recent decision of the disengagement of ICDS helpers to supervisors violates High Court order “as the top court has passed the order in favor of the aggrieved”.
“We have been working in the department for the last thirty years, we protest every week to press for our demands. However, the government has created new record of injustice by disengaging over 1000 helper’s of supervisors in the ICDS,” Mehmooda, a protesting helper said.
She said the government must clarify engagement rules of the ICDS workers before disengaging anyone without a valid reason.
“Had we been engaged illegally? If so, then how was the department releasing our monthly wages for year’s together? When we approached the High Court, the decision was in our favor and the bench asked the government to release our pending wages and provide all benefits to us,” she added.
The protesting workers and helpers threatened that they would Gherao (picket) the Secretariat in case the government does not revoke its “arbitrary decision”.
“Along with our children we will hit the streets and go for the siege of the Civil Secretariat in case the government does not revoke its decision,” the protesters warned.
