Making Anganwadi worker permanent as per election promise seems unrealistic

New Delhi, Dec 10: The issue of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Kamal Nath making promises like permanent employment to the Anganwari workers is being termed as a blatant lie on part of the PCC chief as this is not possible.

Union women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi said that promise of making Anganwadi workers permanent in Madhya Pradesh was absolutely false because it is not possible. As per the minister, giving permanent employment to thousands of Anganwadi workers and their associate will put unbearable financial burden on the coffer therefore it won't turn into a reality. Kamal Nath promised every Anganwadi worker will be regularised during the state elections.

The WCD ministry said that work of Anganwadi workers is temporary since 1975 and the Supreme Court has also expressed its agreement on the issue. The ministry said that several rounds of discussions have already taken place on this issue and it was concluded that making them permanent was not possible. There are around 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres across the country. In which 24 lakh Anganwadi workers (12,83,707) and their associates (10,50,564) work. Madhya Pradesh has 80,160 Anganwari centres and 12070 sub centres.

As per the statement made by the state government around 80 thousand Anganwadi worker and similar number of associates are working in Madhya Prdesh. The Madhya Pradesh government has increased the stipend of Anganwadi workers to the tune of Rs 10,000 and associates stipend was made Rs 5000. It is just being considered as a promise on two counts first regularizing around 1.50 lakh Anganwadi workers will be required huge money and second if they are regularized in one state, the demand will start coming from other states as well.

Regularising 24 lakh Anganwari workers, the government will require lakhs of crores of rupees which is not possible for any government. But the most interesting thing is that on one hand in Madhya Pradesh regularisation of Anganwadi workers is being promised on the other the state government is paying the minimal for Anganwadi Bhawan in the state. In the urban area Rs 750 is paid for Anganwadi and in the rural area it is just Rs 200 per month.