Anganwadi workers’ issues to be taken up with govt: Soni

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 16

OP Soni, Minister for School Education, Environment and Freedom Fighters, on Wednesday met the protesting members of the All Punjab Anganwadi Mulajam Union, who had been protesting at his residence since Tuesday. Soni received a memorandum and assured them that their demands would be looked into.

“We have been protesting for the past two months. No one pays heed to us. We were promised today as well that our demands will be considered but we will not be satisfied until they are met,” said Hargobind Kaur, president of the Anganwadi Workers’ Union. She said the protest would continue till May 19. “If our demands are not met, we will move to Shahkot and protest there,” she said. Along with the memorandum, the protesters also presented a letter, said to be written in blood, to OP Soni as a mark of their protest. “This is to symbolise how the government is exploiting us,” said Kaur.

Meanwhile, Soni said that due to the code of conduct being in place, the government was unable to release any of its policies or decisions in any matter. He said he would take up the matter with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

Anganwadi workers and helpers have been demanding remunerations on the pattern of Haryana, return of students between the age of three and six years to the anganwadi centres, who have been shifted to government elementary schools. Besides, there are certain issues that they want to be addressed.

Soni said it would be his first agenda once the bypoll process ends. “Capt Amarinder Singh has kept health and education on the top of his agenda and any matter related to these departments attract get his attention,” he said while addressing the members of the protesting union.

The minister appealed to the protesters to lift their dharna and wait for a few days for the government’s intervention.

The protesters said that they had been demonstrating for the past two months but the government appeared in no mood to pay heed to them.

The protesters are still continuing with their dharna.