Increase the budget allocation for ICDS

To

Smt Smriti Irani

Honourable Minister for Women and Child Development

Government of India

Subject: Increase the budget allocation for ICDS for increased nutrition, uniform service conditions, minimum wages and pension to anganwadi workers and helpers and other demands

Dear Madam,

As you are aware, India ranks 101 among 116 countries housing almost half of all the malnourished children in the world. According to the National Family Health Survey 5, the number of stunted children due to malnutrition is 35.5%, the number of underweight children is 19.3% and the number of severely malnourished children is 7.7%, the number of children who are underweight for age is 30%. The situation if hunger and malnutrition has reached alarming proportions due to Covid-19 pandemic with the reduction in income of 84% of the households. Hunger watch survey revealed that 8 out of 10 households face food insecurity.

Integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme, the only government programme to address this crucial issue facing the future of the country needs much more priority and resources at this crucial juncture.

You may also agree that when the country is celebrating its 75^th year of independence, the services of the warriors who fight the silent killer of hunger and malnutrition, safe guarding the future generation, nearly 27 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers for the last more than 45 years must also be recognized and rewarded. We deliver this crucial services to eight crore children and 2 crore women in 14 lakh anganwadi centres throughout the country.

It is a matter of national shame that these grass root level workers and their services are not recognized as work and they are paid a pittance called as ‘honorarium’. An anganwadi worker who takes care of a population of one thousand giving the serives door to door gets Rs.4500 and a helper gets Rs. 2250 per month remuneration. Out of this only 60 percent amount is paid by the central government and the rest 40 percent is paid by the state governments. This has not been increased for the last four years. Various governments have completely neglected the unanimous recommendations of the 45^th and 46^th Indian Labour Conferences to pay the scheme workers including the anganwadi workers and helpers should be given minimum wage, pension and social security. Even after thirty fourty years of service, they are forcefully retired without any retirement benefit or pension. Although the services are the same our service conditions vary from state to state.

Since for the last many years, the budget of ICDS is being cut continuously, the honorarium to the Anganwadi worker and helper is not paid on time, it remains pending for months. Workers are also forced to spend from their own pocket for many activities including the much acclaimed poshan abhiyan and digital reporting. 

During the last two years of the pandemic, when the country faced a health and food crisis it was these workers who worked hard to reduce the disastrous impacts of loss of lives due to pandemic and hunger. Anganwadi workers and helpers risked their lives extending Covid-19 duties in all the three waves from quarantine cetres to vaccination. They have delivered door to door service to the beneficiaries.  It is unfortunate that they are yet to receive any risk allowance for this valuable service. The deaths of scores of anganwadi workers and helpers martyred fighting Covid-19 pandemic are et to be compensated.

It is alarming that the budget allocation for the ICDS has been continuously reduced in the last budgets. It is also important to note here that in the last year's Union Budget (2021-22), there was a budget cut of 30 percent from previous year(From Estimated Budget for Umbrella ICDS of Rs.28557.38Cr, to Rs.20,105 Cr). There is no increase in allocation for the ICDS (now reamed as Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) in the budget 2022-23 from last year, which means a reduction if we consider the inflation. The Finance Minister in her budget speech made an announcement that 2 lakh anganwadi centres (only 15% of the total) will be modernized, but we are surprised that the budget do not have any financial allocation for it.  This is how we see that the budget is continuously decreasing while malnutrition, anemia and hunger are increasing continuously.

As you are aware, anganwadi workers and helpers all over the country who were expecting an increase in wages are much disappointed and agitated and are forced to come out on struggles in a compelling situation of price rise. But we are denied even the right to unionise or hold demonstrations and have to face severe repression.

In this circumstance Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, from various states under the leadership of the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helprs(AIFAWH) along with ASHA and mid day meal workers have organized a symbolic protest today, 15 March 2022 at Jantar Mantar on the following demands

1. Increase the allocation ICDS in Budget 2022-23 to make the ICDS permanent with proper infrastructure and good quality nutrition in increased quantity to address the present malnutrition crisis.
2. Regularise anganwadi workers and helpers as workers, Pay minimum wages Rs.32,000pm to workers and Rs.26,000 to Helpers; Equal wages to Mini Workers; Provide Pension, ESI, PF etc as per the recommendations of 45^th and 46^th ILC
3. Uniform service condition for anganwadi workers and helpers throughout the country
4. Adequate financial allocation to convert all mini centres to full centres; Strengthen the ECCE in anganwadis. No pre- school attached to schools . No merger of anganwadis or merger with schools
5. All Pending wages and all allowances of anganwadi workers and helpers must be released immediately. Payment for Covid duties with retrospective effect – allowance for safety measurers, Rs.10000 per month risk allowance, Rs 50 lakhs insurance cover, compensation of Rs.10 lakhs for all those who got infected, family insurance and coverage of treatment for Covid-19 for the entire family.
6. Immediate payment of all dues of remuneration, allowances, rent etc.
7. No retrenchment till pension, ex-gratia and other social security measures are ensured.
8. No privatisation in any form; NO corporate involvement in ICDS in the name of CSR. No Cash Transfers in ICDS.
9. No linking of the wages of anganwadi workers and helpers and allocation for nutrition of beneficiaries to ‘Poshan Tracker’ app. Ensure good quality mobile phones and availability of network and data pack before implementation of digitization.

We request you to immediately intervene personally and ensure that our genuine demands are met.

Yours sincerely,

Usha Rani                               A R Sindhu

President                                General Secretary

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