: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today appealed to Anganwadi workers to call off ...

: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today appealed to Anganwadi workers to call off their three-day RPT day old protest demanding increase in wages.

The government will hold discussions with them on their issues with "an open mind" on April 19, he told the state assembly.

As the House met for the day, opposition parties raised the issue of Anganwadi workers continuing their protestdespite the Chief Minister yesterday claiming that he hadconvinced their delegation to call off the protest. Responding to this, Industries Minister R V Deshpande said he will ask the Women and Child Development Minister to meet them and see why they were still protesting and understand their concerns.
 

Unhappy with the government's response, JD(S) members' entered the well of the House.

Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar (BJP too said the Chief Minister should call another meeting and talk to the agitating workers.

Siddaramaiah had said yesterday he had met the leaders of the Anganwadi workers and informed them that government has been with them and was raising their wage by Rs 500 every year and it was raised by Rs 1,000 in the latest budget.

He said today that understanding their concern, he has called them for a meeting after the current assembly session and byelections to two assembly seats. The meeting had been fixed for April 19.

"They too had agreed to it, I don't know why they decided to continue with the protest. They should not make it a prestige issue. Government has its own limitations and all decisions, on such issues which will have financial implications cannot be decided at one go," he said. "I request them to call off the the protest. We will sit with them with an open mind on April 19 and discuss their demands," he added.

Following this, JD(S)members returned to their seats.

Hundreds of anganwadi workers are on the protest at the Freedom Park here pressing their charter of demands, including wage hike.

Women workers, a few of them along with their children are protesting overnight in an open area, despite being faced by challenges like limited availability of food, water and other basic facilities including toilet. After their condition was highlighted in the assembly yesterday, the government said it has made some arrangements for basic needs at the protest venue.