Anganwadi staff in Pune unmoved by Union budget

Despite the Centre’s announcement in the Union budget to double remuneration, the state anganwadi sevikas and helpers are an unhappy lot. They are demanding to be absorbed as permanent government employees.

From April 1 this year, workers would get Rs3,000 per month and helpers would get Rs1,500 per month. There are about 90,000 anganwadis in Maharashtra covering around 83.41 lakh children with over one lakh anganwadi sevikas and helpers.

The women and child development department runs the anganwadis in rural areas and provides funds to zilla parishad for setting up new centres. Apart from the Union government’s remuneration, the state government gives Rs1,050 and Rs500 per month to sevikas and helpers respectively.

“The Centre’s announcement of increasing remuneration is a big joke. The government runs the anganwadi centres. But the anganwadi sevikas and helpers are not treated as government employees. They are deprived of the facilities like provident fund, gratuity, pension and insurance,” said Maharashtra Rajya Anganwadi Karmchari Union’s secretary, Namdeo Gavade.

He cited the example of Pondicherry, where anganwadi sevikas and helpers have been given the status of government employees. In Pondicherry, the government has revised the pay scale of sevikas and helpers. All other states must follow it, he said.