Harish Rao asks Congress Govt to release hiked salaries to mini Anganwadi workers in Telangana

Harish Rao shot a missive to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, charging the Congress government with political opportunism

Hyderabad: Former Minister and senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao criticised the Congress government for its unjust treatment of mini Anganwadi workers and for depriving them of their hiked salaries for the last year. He demanded that the government pay salaries as per the increased pay grade and also credit the arrears into their accounts immediately.

Harish Rao shot a missive to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, charging the Congress government with political opportunism. He pointed out that 3,989 mini Anganwadi workers who were serving in the most remote rural and tribal belts were subjected to financial and emotional hardship due to erratic policy implementation.

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He reminded that the previous BRS government had issued orders upgrading mini Anganwadis to Anganwadi status in September 2023, but implementation was stalled due to the election code.

The former Minister said the Congress government merely reissued the same order in December 2023 for political mileage. After briefly paying a hiked salary of Rs 13,650 for three months, the government reverted to the old mini Anganwadi pay scale of Rs 7,800 from April 2024 onward.

“Which government reduces an increased salary? How can the government justify it?” he asked.

Harish Rao stated that confusion continues, as the government reissued the old GO in April this year. Yet, the enhanced salaries were disbursed only in eight districts this May.

“Mini Anganwadi workers are not campaign tools. They are grassroots workers serving the poorest. It is absurd to make them suffer financially and emotionally,” he said.

He demanded that increased salaries to mini Anganwadi workers be paid retrospectively from January 2024, with helpers appointed immediately wherever needed.