Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Dec 22: Claiming that anganwadi workers (AWW) were duped into signing on an apology letter, prepared by Supervisor Hage Yapa, on 23 November, stating that the workers were “incited” by All Arunachal Pradesh Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union (AAPAWHU) president Yasi Nalo, the AAPAWHU has demanded the termination of the AWW supervisor and the Ziro (Lower Subansiri)-based ICDS-I project CDPO from service.
Addressing journalists at the Arunachal Press Club here on Sunday, AAPAWHU president Yasi Sonam said “the anganwadi workers were made to sign the apology letter without the workers being aware of what was written in it.”
Sonam said that on 15 November, a voice message had been circulated by the supervisor that an interview would be conducted on 23 November, and that whoever failed in it would be terminated from their job.
“When we reached on 22 November to find out the issue, the CDPO changed the interview into training. The workers were confused,” Sonam claimed.
She said the CDPO then called every worker to her office on a Sunday, “misusing her power, and scolded them for meeting me.” Alleging that the CDPO and the supervisor had misused their powers, the AAPAWHU demanded that the authority concerned terminate their services.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Arunachal Times over the phone, CDPO Gyati Maya denied the allegation that the AWWs were forced or duped into signing on any apology letter.
“The secretary of the AAPAWHU herself is a graduate; she read (the letter) thoroughly before signing it,” the CDPO claimed.
She said that a message had been circulated by Yapa in the Apatani language about a two-day training programme on the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and the repeat report system, “asking every worker to bring mats for the training programme. It was supposed to be held at the DC office conference room from 23 to 24 November.”
“This training is self-assessment of the department to keep the anganwadi workers activated,” she said.
“Nobody informed me about the protest. It was held at the agriculture department office,” the CDPO added.
There are 108 anganwadi centres under the Ziro-I ICDS project.
