Anganwadi workers march to Collectorate, seek wage hike

Anganwadi workers and helpers took out a protest march from Jagadamba junction to the collectorate in Visakhapatnam on Friday. | Photo credit: IN PARADISE

Dressed in black saris and carrying red CITU flags, several hundred anganwadi workers marched through the streets of Visakhapatnam on Friday, their voices rising in slogans as they marched towards the Collectorate. Many of them carried placards fashioned like tabards, printed with demands ranging from a minimum wage of ₹26,000 to the abolition of the Nava Chetana app.

The rally started at Jagadamba Junction and proceeded through the Clock Tower and King George Hospital (KGH) area before gathering at the Collector’s office, with workers from across the district participating.

Anganwadi workers and helpers are protesting and demanding implementation of the state government’s election promise to increase their wages. | Photo credit: IN PARADISE

Addressing the gathering, district president L. Devi and secretary K. Venkata Lakshmi said that Mr. Naidu, then in opposition, had promised to increase the anganwadi salaries, but the assurance remained unfulfilled two years after the government took office. They said wages had not been revised by either the state or the Center in seven years, even as prices rose and workload increased with the introduction of new mobile apps, including Nava Chetana, and the addition of election-related duties.

CITU district secretary RKSV Kumar alleged that the government extended relief worth thousands of crores of rupees to big corporations while ignoring the wage demands of anganwadi workers. He recalled that the leaders now in government visited workers’ protest camps during the 42-day strike under the previous government and promised to raise wages after assuming power, a promise he said remained unfulfilled.

Union leaders said the agitation would continue until a wage revision was announced, with CITU pledging its support for workers “at every stage” of the protest.

As the Collector and Joint Collector were unavailable at that time, a memorandum was submitted to the District Revenue Officer, Visweswara Naidu.

Published – 10 Jul 2026 22:33 IST