Soyat Kalan (Madhya Pradesh): Members of the Anganwadi Employees Union, Soyat Kalan, Asha and Mid-Day Meal Workers Union continued to protest on the fifth day. The protesters were demanding regular employment and to count them as government employees. Addressing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan Agar union president Premlata Jain said that, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), National Health Mission (NHM) and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Yojana played a pivotal role in the nourishment and health of mothers and children.
But for the past seven years, these schemes had been languishing due to inadequate funding. The protesters said workers of these schemes were not paid even their basic allowances for months and some of them were ousted from jobs without any retirement benefits. They alleged the money earmarked for these schemes was spent on advertisements.
Notably, the workers are on an indefinite strike since Friday which caused discontinuity in the distribution of mid-day meals to children in Anganwadis. Anganwadi workers Shabana Baig, Shobha Soni, Savitri Bhavsar, Raju Rajput, Shraddha Verma, Sumitra Rathore, Shabana Khan, Rizwana Khan, Rekha Dashora, Nisha Jain and others were also present. Agar Prajapita Brahmakumari Kendra director Kiran also accompanied them.
