Maharashtra Anganwadi Workers are staged a protest in Mumbai.

All of the anganwadi workers in Maharashtra, numbering around 200,000, have been engaged in a strike since December 4th of the previous year in support of their various demands. They are now organizing a march towards Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with plans to hold a rally on Wednesday to protest against the State government. If their demands remain unaddressed, they intend to commence an indefinite strike at the venue.
Asha Ganpat Sonavani, a 65-year-old with 40 years of experience as a cook, expressed her concern over the poor quality of food provided to the children. She pointed out that they are only receiving boiled chana with salt, whereas in the past, children used to enjoy a variety of nutritious meals, including pav-bhaji, dry foods, snacks, sprouts, pulao, khichdi, and sometimes fruits. Moreover, the anganwadi workers are troubled by the lack of a pension scheme, leaving them with insufficient savings for retirement.
The anganwadi workers, who initiated their strike on December 4th, have reported no communication from government officials regarding their demands. They are calling for an increase in the daily food budget for children, from ₹8 per child to ₹24 for malnourished children and ₹16 for others. In rural areas, workers resort to door-to-door requests for pulses and cereals to feed the children, while in cities, the self-help groups provide hot cooked meals of subpar quality.
Shubha Shamim, president of Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana, affiliated with CITU, and convener of Maharashtra Anganwadi Action Samity, as well as vice president of All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers and Maharashtra State Anganwadi Staff Action Committee, reiterated the workers' demands.
Rubal Agarwal, ICDS Commissioner, Mumbai, Maharashtra, refuted the allegations, stating that many of the demands fall under central government policies beyond their control. He emphasized that the Women and Child Development Department had already increased building rent for Anganwadi centers and raised the remuneration from ₹8,000 to ₹10,000 in April 2023. Additionally, plans were in place to issue mobile phones to all Anganwadi centers.
Mumbai, with 3,500 anganwadi workers, faces challenges in providing proper facilities. Visiting anganwadis in Dharavi's slums, it was evident that each center operates in a small, cramped space of 8/10 square feet, shared with the residents. Typically, each anganwadi caters to 40 to 50 children. The teachers struggle with space limitations and rent issues, often having to take children out during lunchtime due to space-sharing arrangements.
The inadequate rental rates and cramped conditions also affect the residents who share their homes with anganwadi worker and the children they serve. In some cases, anganwadi workers are forced to sit outside locked rooms that are meant to be their centers, accommodating numerous children and mothers.
In light of these challenges, the anganwadi workers are demanding increased rental rates, with higher rates in metro cities like Mumbai, and towns and rural areas also adjusted accordingly. They are also pushing for the government to recognize them as employees eligible for gratuity and a minimum pension of at least ₹3,000 to assist with their medical expenses, citing a Supreme Court judgment from April 2022.
This news was originally Published Here.