The Andhra Pradesh Police on Monday, March 14, detained scores of mid-day meal scheme workers and leaders of trade unions in various parts of the state to foil their 'Chalo Vijayawada' protest rally. The mid-day meals scheme workers' union called for the protest on Mondayto press for various demands and to oppose the handing over of the government’s mid-day meal scheme Jagananna Gorumudda to ISKCON’s Akshaya Patra Foundation. The police denied permission for the protest and resorted to preventive arrests and house arrests in several districts.
“It has been nearly three years since the Jagan Mohan Reddy government came to power. There has been no indication of addressing issues of midday meal workers. Now, it looks like the Chief Minister himself is handing the scheme over to Akshaya Patra Foundation and endangering the livelihood of thousands of workers,” one mid-day meal worker told ETV Andhra Pradesh.
On February 18, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated a centralised Akshaya Patra kitchen set up by ISKCON at Atmakur village in Mangalagiri, Guntur district. The kitchen, which can cook for 50,000 children, was set up to prepare food required for mid-day meals and supply it to schools through delivery vehicles.
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The workers, who work for various agencies providing mid-day meals, alleged that the government's reported move to hand over the implementation of the scheme to Akshaya Patra will render them jobless. Angry over the detentions and house arrests, the union leaders vowed to organise protests at any cost. According to the union leaders, there are 80,000 mid-day meal workers across the state. The state government is providing mid-day meals to students in 40,000 schools.
Leaders of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) were also either arrested or placed under house arrest. AITUC state secretary Padala Ramana was placed under house arrest in Visakhapatnam. The mid-day meal scheme workers and leaders reaching Vijayawada were also detained by the police. Trade union leaders were picked up from their offices as they were preparing to lead the protest.
Agencies providing midday meals were already demanding the government increase their charges by 20% and release dues. According to reports, dues are pending since July 2021. They are also demanding that the government increase food preparation charges in view of the rising prices of essential commodities.
In February, thousands of government employees and teachers had thronged the streets of Vijayawada demanding higher pay revision. The protest rally was held in the name of ‘Chalo Vijayawada’, defying a police ban on the agitation and overcoming curbs imposed across the state.
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With IANS inputs