Meeting of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union Held in Shimla: Key Demands Presented to Authorities

A meeting of the State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Himachal Pradesh, related to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, was held at the CITU State Office, Kisan Mazdoor Bhawan, Chitkara Park, Kaithu, Shimla. The meeting was attended by CITU State President Vijendra Mehra, Ramakant Mishra, Union President Neelam Jaswal, General Secretary Veena Sharma, Khimi Bhandari, Anuradha, Bimla Devi, Godavari, Anjula, Sushma, Anita, Geeta, Ishara, Lata, Sudesh, Veena, Shashi, Kamla, Sunita, Suman, Rekha, and others.

Following the meeting, a 29-point demand letter addressing issues such as salary hikes for Mini Anganwadi and other Anganwadi workers was submitted to Pankaj Kumar Lalit, Director of the Women and Child Development Department, and Mohan Datt, Additional Director. The officials assured immediate resolution of the demands.

Key Highlights of the Meeting

Vijendra Mehra, Neelam Jaswal, and Veena Sharma addressed the State Committee meeting. They announced that Anganwadi workers, Mini Anganwadi workers, and helpers would observe a one-day statewide strike in May to press for their demands. On this day, all Anganwadi centers will remain closed.

The union leaders demanded that the state government increase the salaries of Anganwadi workers and regularize their jobs during the current budget session. They also urged the government to implement gratuity as per Supreme Court directives and regularize Anganwadi workers in line with the Gujarat High Court’s orders.

Major Demands Presented

1. Regularization and Salary Hike: Regularize Anganwadi workers and increase their salaries.
2. Gratuity and Pension: Implement gratuity and pension schemes for Anganwadi workers.
3. Pre-Primary Appointments: Ensure 100% appointments in pre-primary education and remove the age limit of 45 years for such appointments.
4. Supervisor Appointments: Recognize degrees from any recognized university in India for supervisor appointments and immediately recruit matriculate and graduate workers as supervisors based on seniority.
5. Government Employee Status: Grant Anganwadi workers the status of government employees and provide salary and seniority benefits akin to those in Haryana.
6. Medical and Other Leaves: Provide medical and other leaves as per Punjab’s policies.
7. Retirement Age: Increase the retirement age to 65 years.
8. Upgradation of Centers: Upgrade all Mini Anganwadi centers to full-fledged Anganwadi centers.
9. Financial Assistance: Provide adequate financial assistance for uniforms, mobile recharge, and stationery.
10. Stop Salary Deductions: Prevent salary deductions during medical or illness-related leaves.
11. Nutrition Tracker App: Resolve issues related to the Nutrition Tracker App.
12. Opposition to Privatization: Strongly oppose the privatization of ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) under the guise of Nand Ghars and the handover to Vedanta Company.

Warning to the Central Government

The union leaders warned the central government that if ICDS is privatized and Anganwadi workers are not regularized, the movement will intensify. They emphasized that privatization under the pretext of Nand Ghars will not be tolerated, as it could lead to job losses for workers in the future.

They also demanded that the central government regularize Anganwadi workers as per the recommendations of the 45th Indian Labour Conference held in 2013. Additionally, they called for salary hikes and other benefits for Anganwadi workers, similar to those provided in Haryana.

Additional Demands

• Pension and Medical Facilities: Implement pension, gratuity, medical benefits, and leave facilities for Anganwadi workers.
• Pre-Primary Education: Assign the responsibility of teaching young children under the New Education Policy to trained Anganwadi workers, with corresponding salary hikes and regularization.
• Election Duty Incentives: Provide incentives for Anganwadi workers deployed on election duty.
• Vacancy Filling: Immediately fill vacant positions of Anganwadi workers and helpers.
• Double Payment for Extra Work: Ensure double payment for additional work assigned to Anganwadi workers and helpers.
• Storage Facilities: Provide storage facilities for Mini Anganwadi centers.

The union leaders called for intensified efforts to address these issues and vowed to continue their struggle until the demands are met.