Mangaluru : Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim and Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Gertrude Vegas have asked anganwadi teachers and workers to withdraw their protest as it was affecting the care of children and pregnant women.

Nearly 700 of the 1201 anganwadis have not been functioning in the district for the last four days following the State-wide protest by anganwadi teachers. They have been protesting against moves to privatise the Integrated Child Development Services scheme.

In a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner here on Thursday, Ms. Vegas pointed that the ongoing protest had affected the work of taking care of children and pregnant women. It was from these anganwadis that nutritious food and other supplements are provided for 300 days a year.

Mr. Ibrahim told the protesters that the demands such as providing minimum wage of Rs. 15,000 had to be addressed by the State and Union governments. He would forward the demands of the protestors to the Department of Women and Child Welfare.