Team Herald
PONDA: The seven office bearers of All Goa Union of Anganwadi Workers Committee on Saturday demanded justice against harassment meted out by the Child and Women Welfare Department for terminating them from service for staging workers agitation in December 2021, to fulfill their demands.
Addressing media persons, here, the workers along with their lawyer questioned the government whether staging an agitation for their rightful demand is an offence in a democratic country.
The seven office bearers including President Devyani Tamse condemned harassment by the Women and Child welfare Department.
She alleged that instead of fulfilling promises made by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, the Child and Women Welfare Department is harassing them by terminating from services.
Adv Hridaynath Shirodkar said that the Director of Child and Women Development failed to clarify under which provisions of rules the seven workers are terminated. One of the reasons given by the director is that these workers had supported Congress at the time of State Assembly elections.
He said, “This is illegal and political order by the director and the workers will continue to fight against harassment.”
He said that the director should make clear under which rules the seven workers are terminated.
It may be recalled the anganwadi workers/helpers from 12 talukas had stage an agitation in December 2021 to attract attention of the government against injustice meted out to them. Their fight was against minimum wage which was not hiked for 10 years. Since then, the Director of Child and Women Department began to harass them.
The seven workers said, “For the past 10 years the workers were not given any increment in salary beside there were other pending demands. Following agitation, the CM had held a discussion on our demands. He had also promised us to fulfill the three demands including increment in remuneration, retirement benefit and also benefit of appointing our nominee.”
