Not fair for Priyanka to promise increasing ‘honorarium’ for AWWs to Rs 15,000 in election rally

Why has not Congress done that in States where there is already a Congress Government ?
AWW has no less ‘full-time’ involvement in time & commitment than a lowest level regular Clerk

DAYA SAGAR

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary Indian National Congress has been quoted as having said on April 30, 2023 (at a public rally for Congress candidate Anjali Nimbalkar in Belagavi’s Khanapur, Karnataka) that if Congress comes to power after 10th May 2023 elections to Legislative Assembly in Karnataka the Government would increase the ‘honorarium’ from Rs.11500 to Rs.15,000 /pm for Anganwadi Workers in Karnataka. It may sound good to some Anganwadi workers but surely is not to be appreciated (first) because this announcement has come before elections to legislative assembly, (second) in case Congress proposes to do that in Karnataka why has not the Congress Governments done that in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh? and (third) there appears no any analysis done for fixing the increased amount of Rs.15000/ pm since here again Congress has talked of consolidated wage/ ‘honorarium’ which is nowhere commensurate / matching with the socio-economic & administrative value the job/duty assigned to a Anganwadi worker can be seen to carry after a rational analysis. To be brief Anganwadi Services Scheme covering all habitats of the country, particularly) including all backward districts, is implemented under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), launched as far back as 1975.Lok Sabha was informed on 30-07-2021 that as on 31-01-2021 there were 13,99,697 sanctioned / 13,87,432 operational Anganwari Centres in India.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha on March 23, 2022 Union Minister of W&CD Government of INDIA (GOI) , Smriti Zubin Irani that was shared in media about implementation of Anganwadi Services Scheme (now renamed as Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by States/UTs,is for providing a package of six services, namely, (i) Supplementary Nutrition; (ii) Pre-school Non-formal Education; (iii) Nutrition & Health Education; (iv) Immunization; (v) Health Check-up; and (vi) Referral Services to all eligible beneficiaries, namely, children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers through the platform of Anganwadi Centres across the country.
So,in a way it will not be an overstatement to make that Anganwadi Worker plays a role of bridge between the community and the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) but regretfully Department of Women and Child Welfare ( GOI) has not been fair to the AWWs as regards to remunerations ( even not disbursed in time every month) and job security provided to them. It may not be out place to say here that theAnganwadi Services Scheme is being conducted since 1975 and is no less needed than any other welfare programme because even in 2023 we have over 800 million souls that need be supported with 5 kg of food grains at no cost every month..
In a written reply to a Lok Sabha question on 07-02-2020 Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani had also informed (i) that the Central Government is providing honorarium of Rs 4,500/- per month to Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Rs 3,500/- per month to AWWs at mini-AWCs & Rs 2,250/- per month to Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs).The Minister had also informed that :
(i)
{ where as what minster said gets totally negated when any considering mind would find that the AWW has almost have full time involvement in time as well as commitment after going through the ” 2017- Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) Manual for District- Level Functionaries where in among other things the work to be done / records to be maintained by AWW are listed (4.2 Role of Functionaries at Village Level / Cluster Level & Block Level) saying that Anganwadi level, is the grassroots level of the project implementation which is manned by Anganwadi Worker assisted by Mini Anganwadi Worker and / or Anganwadi helper listing; and Registers and Records to me maintained by the AWW are listed as : oFamily Register oPre-School Education Register oSupplementary Food Stock Register oSupplementary Food Distribution Register oPregnancy and Delivery Register oImmunisation and Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) oVitamin A Biannual Rounds Register oHome Visits Planner oReferrals oSummaries (Monthly & Annual) oWeight Records of Children. The responsibility to be taken by AWW both as regards operation of the AWC as well as building up the ground data / review information / shortfalls/ indicators /performance /limitations data for overall assessment / monitoring of the programmes / organise non formal preschool activities for children of 3 yr-6 yr could well be weighted with the number and type of registers and records mentioned here in which are no way less than even a regular junior clerk/ junior Assistant.
(ii) Minister added:- Where as it is the socio-economic compulsion of the woman folk that forces them to accept so inferior terms of appoint since had it not been so they would not have been regularly protesting for enhancement of their wages as regular employees.
(iii) Minister informed;< there was no proposal under consideration to increase the honorarium of Anganwadi workers>.
No doubt in addition to GOI the State Governments / UTs are also paying some additional amounts ( that is not uniform) butthat too do not make total monthly payments adequate for minimum living what to talk of social security after ’60 yrs’ of age. To quote NCT Delhi Govt. said in Feb 2022 to have increased total for Anganwadi Worker from Rs. 9678 to Rs.12,720 / PM but even that is not adequate, amount & job security wise.
Whereas going by the job requirements & status AWWs have ‘full time’ involvement in time as well as commitment worth wages and status atleast equal to a lowest level regular clerk.
Even if one takes the Grade as 5200-20200 GP 1800 ( Level-2 VII PC 19900-63200) still minimum wages & allowances per month as on 01-01-2023 with 42% DA, 9 % HRA , Rs.900×1.42 TPA min. would be approximately Rs. 33318/pm (19900+DA 8358+ HRA 3781 + 1279 min. pm) .Ofcourse there will be additional entitlement for Rs.2250 per child/pm as education allowance & Rs.6750 / child /pm Hostel subsidy allowance ( max 2 children). Some may (unfairly) suggest Pay Level of SL-1 (14800-47100) but even that the wages will be over 23000/pm in addition to much superior social security.
So firstly politicians like Priyanka Gandhi should not see only from election game points but should see to such issues in a regular manner and seriously work for welfare of the masses and the exploited lots of society .I am very sure the real agony of the Anganwadi Workers has not been carried to Prime Minister since had the facts been placed truthfully before him he would have spared no time in granting sanctions for enhancements.
The politicians must be checked even by non political / social groups from exploiting the needy/ economically weaker masses during election campaigns from floating promises for petty pensions / petty gender based allowances/ petty allowances to the unemployed / free food/ free utilities to bpl families and instead should be asked to promise for making the economically weaker sections worth earning their own honourable living . Ofcourse all those who make ‘such’ subsidised or free material promises should be asked to also declare that they will not impose any additional taxes for meeting such promises.
(The author is Sr Journalist, social activist and analyst J&K affairs [email protected]).