Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Dec 6: The court here has absolved Anganwadi worker and president of the Anganwadi Workers Union, K Usha Raviraj Naik, of the charge of insubordination allegedly for refusing to obey the instruction to undertake door to door visits for improving the quality of voters list. She was charged booked under Representation of People's Act.

The then tahsildar and assistant returning officer, H S Arunaprabha, had filed complaint against Usha. She said that election duty falls under essential services and those who are found violating this law are subject to jail term with a minimum of three months and maximum of two years. It was also alleged that the accused had instigated 26 other Anganwadi workers too not to get involved with election-related work. The incident had occurred on January  1, 2008.

The judge, who  conducted hearing in the case, noted that Anganwadi workers draw honorarium from child welfare department. He pointed out that Anganwadi workers are not employees of revenue department, and therefore the complainant had no right to pass instruction to Anganwadi workers directly. It was also observed that these workers can be given instructions only by the heads of their own department and not others. Observing that the policemen had erred in filing charge sheet against the accused without taking account these things, he acquitted the accused.