Dharna before ITDA office seeking reinstatement of ANMs today

ADILABAD: Nearly 126 outsourcing ANMs working in tribal ashram schools (TAS) have been fired even as there are reports of food poisoning cases and fever in such schools and even deaths in the erstwhile Adilabad district.
Meanwhile, many parents are angry with officials for scrapping medical services to students with the removal of ANMs at such a critical time.    

Adivasis wanted to know why services of ANMs were being used in KGBV and residential schools but not in tribal ashram schools. They alleged that ITDA officials were putting their children's lives at risk.  

Reportedly 126 ANMs, who have been working in the tribal ashram schools under ITDA for the last 10 years for a monthly salary of Rs 10, 000 were demanding regularisation of service but to no avail. The Some ANMs who were sacked staged a protest in front of the ITDA office in Utnoor on August 22 demanding that their services be restored. ITDA officials maintained that they had no budget to pay them their salaries.

Allam Rajesh, studying SSC in a tribal ashram school at Elluru village in Penchikalpet mandal, succumbed to viral fever while he was being taken to RIMS. In another incident, a girl from TAS at Kuntala also died of viral fever in Neredigonda mandal.

Meanwhile, Thudum Debba has called for a massive dharna at the ITDA office on Monday demanding the officials to restore services of ANMs at least for the sake of the students.

Thudum Debba district president Godam Ganesh blamed the state government for the crisis. He said that the need of the hour was in providing medical assistance to students and not removal of ANMs.