Police thwart protesting anganwadi workers’ bid to enter Mini-Secretariat

The police intervened as hundreds of anganwadi workers protesting over their long-pending demands tried to enter the Mini Secretariat on Monday to submit a memorandum to officials.

While the protesters managed to cross the main gates of the Mini Secretariat, they were stopped by the police at barricading put up outside the office complex.

Shikha Bhagat, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), later reached the spot, received the memorandum from the protesters and assured them that their demands would be taken up, seeking one week’s time.

The anganwadi workers and helpers staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, demanding the immediate resolution of their long-pending demands, including regularisation of services, higher remuneration and implementation of the Supreme Court order on gratuity.

The protesters observed a ‘black day’ as part of a nationwide call by anganwadi workers and helpers. They raised slogans against the Union Government and submitted a memorandum addressed to Annapoorna Devi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development.

The protesters said the government had failed to fulfil assurances given to their representatives during meetings with the ministry. They claimed that despite repeated representations, there had been no increase in their remuneration since 2018.

According to the protesters, anganwadi workers were being paid only Rs 2,700 per month by the Centre, while helpers received Rs 1,350 per month. They demanded that they be regularised as Grade III and Grade IV government employees. Pending regularisation, they sought minimum monthly wages of Rs 41,000 for workers and Rs 35,000 for helpers, along with minimum pension of Rs 18,000.

A major demand of the protesters was implementation of the SC’s 2022 order regarding gratuity for anganwadi workers and helpers. They demanded that there should be no retirement age limit until a pension system was introduced for them.

The workers opposed the mandatory facial recognition system (FRS) and e-KYC requirements, alleging they these causing harassment and could exclude beneficiaries from anganwadi services. They sought proper tablets and data facilities for digital work and reimbursement of expenses incurred on smart phones, internet and maintenance.

The protesters said anganwadi workers were increasingly being assigned duties unrelated to the Integrated Child Development Services, including booth-level officer work under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and Census-related duties. They said such assignments affected the functioning of anganwadi centres.

They demanded uniform service conditions across the country, including annual increments, paid medical leave and holidays. Better infrastructure, clean drinking water, gas connections, kitchen equipment and higher rent for anganwadi centres operating from rented buildings were among their other demands.

The workers also sought conversion of all anganwadi centres into anganwadi-cum-creches, and demanded regular supply of nutritious food, including eggs and milk, for children.

The protesters said they had also participated in the nationwide strike on February 12, but claimed the government had not taken concrete steps on their demands.