Anganwadi workers to go on protest across state from Feb 20

Anganwadi workers across Maharashtra plan to protest on February 20, ahead of the state's Budget presentation in March, in continuation of their long-pending demands for better wages and permanent employment.

For the last year, Anganwadi workers have been in a tussle with the Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry over their demands. Several protests were held across the state, including at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan ground, after which the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation had assured to increase their honorarium. However, the sudden change in government left them in the lurch again.

An Anganwadi worker in Maharashtra is paid Rs 8,000 as an honorarium, while a helper is given Rs 4,000. Workers have long claimed that the amount is "insignificant" in comparison to the number of tasks they have to do.

"We have to walk on foot from one village to another for the national vaccination programme, implement schemes to provide nutrition for mothers and children, and check for cases of malnourishment, besides providing cooked food and non-vocational educational training at our center." "Despite the workload, we are paid peanuts," said Kamal Parulekar, secretary of the Anganwadi Sevika Union.

"We are going back and forth with our needs. But this time, we will go on an indefinite strike. We are in the process of chalking down the programmes," Parulekar added.

The union has raised the demand to include them in the government’s permanent payroll. Until this demand is met, they have sought that Anganwadi workers must be paid Rs 18,000 and the helpers are given Rs 12,000 as an interim arrangement.

Following protests, the Delhi government raised the honorarium of Anganwadi workers to Rs 12,720 last year, as well as increasing the conveyance and communication allowances to Rs 1,500. "The size and population density of Maharashtra is more than Delhi, but our demands are being ignored. This government will have to enact the promises given by the previous minister," Parulekar said.