Haryana: Technical glitches hamper anganwadi workers’ job to update nutrition data

Anganwadi workers across Haryana are facing technical issues in uploading data of enrolled children and pregnant women onto the Poshan Tracker app and updating the e-KYC of beneficiaries. The workers claim that the mobile phones provided to them, which support only 3G networks, fail to generate the necessary One-Time Passwords (OTPs), resulting in frequent disruptions and an incomplete data uploading process.

Advertisement

According to the workers, the phones have poor battery life and limited hardware capabilities, with only 4GB of storage, which is insufficient for the task. According to them, the limited storage causes the phone to run out of space while updating data for beneficiaries, forcing workers to delete previously stored data before they can proceed with new entries.

"Either the mobiles should be upgraded with higher storage capacity, or we should be provided with separate storage cards," said Rupa Rana, state president of the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union. She also pointed out that the government’s Poshan Tracker app, which is vital for recording and tracking nutrition data, requires 5G compatibility for smooth operation — something these outdated devices cannot support.

“This mismatch is not only affecting our ability to upload critical data, but it also wastes the time of frontline workers who are part of major welfare services,” Rana emphasised.

Despite repeated appeals and protests, the union's concerns have largely been ignored. "We have been requesting the upgrading of handsets to versions that can support modern apps and faster networks," she added.

In response, Seema Prasad, District Programme Officer of the Women and Child Development Department, acknowledged the storage limitations but suggested that workers could manage space by deleting old data as directed.

She added that workers could update their phones to the latest software versions at home, with supervisors assigned to assist in the process.

“The Poshan Tracker app has a new version compatible with the phones once updated, and supervisors have been instructed to help workers carry out these updates,” Prasad explained. “We will ensure that the Anganwadi workers are fully equipped with updated mobiles to carry out their work seamlessly,” she assured.