Suspension of Anganwadi helper revoked;

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court, Justice Mehroz K. Pathan presiding, on October 17, set aside the suspension order of an Anganwadi helper from Wadgaon (Ganja), Lohara tehsil, declaring it illegal. The suspension had been issued based on a Gram Sabha resolution that followed no provision mentioned in any rule or government decision.

The Bench directed that the petitioner be reinstated in service within two weeks. However, it clarified that since the petitioner was under judicial custody during a certain period, she would not be entitled to continuity of service or any benefits for that time. The court also noted that the Women and Child Development Department’s government resolution dated April 12, 2007, which prescribes the procedure for reducing the honorarium of Anganwadi workers found guilty of misconduct, had not been followed hence, the suspension order was quashed.

What was the petition about?

The petitioner, Mayadevi Chimne-Gaikwad, had been serving as an Anganwadi worker for 20 years at Wadgaon (Ganja) in Lohara tehsil, Dharashiv district. A local political party worker had named her in his suicide note before taking his own life. As a result, she was booked under IPC Section 306 (abetment of suicide) and remained in jail for 84 days.

After being granted bail by the High Court, she applied for reinstatement, but the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) refused, citing the pending criminal case. Acting on the decision of the Gram Sabha, which relied on recommendations from the dispute resolution committee’s chairperson, the sarpanch, and others, she was suspended from service.

Aggrieved by this action, she filed a petition in the High Court through Advocate Vishwajit Jain, challenging the legality of her suspension which has now been revoked.