Teachers of upgraded mini Anganwadis denied enhanced salaries in Telangana

After Congress came to power, Women and Child Welfare Minister D Anasuya (Seethakka) in December, 2023 ratified the plan to upgrade 3989 mini Anganwadis into main centres. She also cleared a proposal to increase mini centre teachers’ wage to Rs.13,500 from Rs.7,500

Khammam: Teachers of mini Anganwadi centres, which have been upgraded into main Anganwadis, are in despair as the Congress government has not yet started paying them the salaries given to upgraded centre staff.

It might be noted that the previous BRS regime after recognising valuable services of mini Anganwadi teachers planned to upgrade them into main Anganwadi teachers along with the wage hike. But in due course the government has changed.

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After Congress came to power, Women and Child Welfare Minister D Anasuya (Seethakka) in December, 2023 ratified the plan to upgrade 3989 mini Anganwadis into main centres. She also cleared a proposal to increase mini centre teachers’ wage to Rs.13,500 from Rs.7,500.

In the wake of protests by the teachers demanding implementation of the proposal the government issued orders to that effect in January, 2024 and the orders include appointing one helper for each upgraded Anganwadi centre.

Teachers of upgraded centres paid their salaries accordingly for just three months, but later the government is paying them mini centre salaries. As a result the teachers are forced to draw Rs.7,500 for the last nine months instead of their increased wage, much to their chagrin.

The teachers took to the streets staging protests demanding their rightful wage several times in the past, but in vain.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader and Anganwadi teacher, G Padma accused the State government of neglecting upgraded Anganwadi teachers. She demanded the minister Seethakka to resolve the issue forthwith.

She informed that the teachers have given memorandums to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, women development and child welfare department secretary as well as the local ministers. But, no action is taken so far, teachers are left with no option but to take to the streets again, she said.

It is sad that the teachers who are forced to do additional work are paid mini centre salaries even after upgrading the centres. It is nothing but exploitation. When asked, the officials are saying that there has been a problem with release of budget, complained an Anganwadi teacher Devi of Kothagudem.

It might be noted that the women development and child welfare department is implementing Anganwadi Services Scheme (ASS) activities in as many as 35, 700 Anganwadis under 149 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) projects across the State.

In Kothagudem district highest number of 626 mini Anganwadis have been upgraded, followed by Nalgonda with 262 centres and Adilabad with 264 while in Khammam 232 were upgraded. In all, as many 3,989 teachers are seeking the government to pay their upgraded salary.