A Central government scheme aimed at providing nutritious food to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children is being implemented successfully across the country, including Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy upgraded that scheme, with more funds and improved menu. Naturally, he rechristened it suffixing his father YSR’s name. There is no wrong in it, as upgrading will benefit more people and in a better manner. But the problem is 340 contract employees engaged in implementing the earlier Central schemes have been removed from their jobs abruptly.
Poshan Abhiyan
The 340 contract employees working under Poshan Abhiyan scheme implemented by the Central government have now been thrown onto roads. They gathered at the women and child welfare department office at Amaravati road in Guntur on September 14 and began agitation over their dismissal without any prior notice. An employee even attempted suicide by pouring petrol on himself. The protest by 340 employees from all the 13 districts sparked tension.
They complained that police had not allowed them to go to CM camp office to narrate their woes to him. Poshan Abhiyan contract staff vowed to continue their stir till their jobs are restored.
The Union government introduced Poshan Abhiyan to provide nutritious and healthy diet to pregnant women and lactating mothers. They are supplied with a healthy diet for two years under the scheme. But with the merger of this scheme with YSR Sampoorna Poshana, the 340 contract employees working under this scheme have suddenly lost their jobs.
YSR Sampoorna Poshana, Plus
The state government launched YSR Sampoorna Poshana and Sampoorna Poshana Plus (for tribal areas) on September 7 bringing Poshan Abhiyan and Anganwadi programmes under one umbrella. Nutritious food will be provided to children up to the age of 5 years besides pregnant women and lactating mothers under this scheme.
As this scheme is implemented through Anganwadis, erstwhile Poshan Abhiyan staff have been rendered jobless. These employees are tearfully appealing to the Chief Minister not to deprive them, who feed the poor women, of their source of survival. They are requesting him to appoint them as Anganwadi teachers.
