Employees Stage Mass Demonstration, To Commence ‘Work with Hunger’ from Tomorrow

Port Blair, March 24: The Employees of Social Welfare Department staged a Mass Demonstration in front of the Directorate of Social Welfare today against the non-payment of salary/honorarium to ICDS employees and Anganwadi Workers for the past 07 months. These employees and Anganwadi workers who had worked tirelessly during the whole Covid period to implement various welfare schemes of the government and reaching the beneficiaries at their door steps are running without salary/honorarium for the reasons best known to the Administration.

Speaking on the occasion, General Secretary of the Association, Shri T.S. Sreekumar demanded immediate release of salary for these Covid warriors who were always in the forefront to implement various welfare schemes during the period when people were afraid of coming out of their house due to Covid pandemic. He said that it is for the first time in the history of these islands that the salary of government employees are not paid for 07 months. He said the employees and Anganwadi workers are ready for prolonged agitation with the evening demonstration everyday till the salary is paid.

The employees will also start the movement of “Work With Hunger” from tomorrow (25.03.2021). Shri R.Rajendran, President and Shri S.L.Vinjit, Asst. General Secretary of the Association also spoke on the occasion whereas Shri R.Surendran Pillai, Shri R. Papa Rao, Smti Uma Devi and Smti Indira Devi etc. led the programme.

Similar programmes were also organised in other islands including Rangat, Diglipur, Carnicobar and Campbell Bay where several employees of the Social Welfare Department actively participated in the programme.