Harish Rao assures government support to Anganwadi staff

Hyderabad: Assuring that the TRS government will always stand by the Anganwadi staff, Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday said that they in turn should support the TRS and the government.

Speaking at the thanks-giving meeting organised by the TNGOs and the Anganwadi staff here, Rao said that the earlier governments did not increase the staff salaries even after struggles. "The agitating Anganwadi staff were trampled with horses. The TRS government has increased the Anganwadi salaries three times in seven years. The credit for it goes to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao," he pointed out. Rao stated the TRS government had crested history by hiking salaries of contract and other staff along with regular employees. He claimed that the BJP government in Gujarat was not paying at least half of the salary being paid in Telangana to their Anganwadi staff.

The Minister assured that he would see to it that salaries are paid in the first week, that 450 Anganwadi workers got promotion as supervisors and those eligible were allotted double bedroom houses and pensions.

He said that KCR had sanctioned 4,000 double bedroom houses in Huzurabad, but the MLA Eatala Rajender failed to get even one house constructed.

The Minister said that the State BJP leaders were indulging in false propaganda that salaries of the Anganwadi staff were paid by the Centre. "This is a blatant lie. The Centre was paying only Rs 2,700, while the State government was paying Rs 10,950 a month. Minister Gangula Kamalakar praised the Anganwadi staff, saying they were not doing job, but serving society.

"It is KCR, who has raised their salaries three times." Former TNGOs' leader Deviprasad said the earlier governments had crushed the Anganwadi staff agitations but KCR increased their salaries without asking.