Fraud on the People! AIFAWH condemns the Anti- Women, Anti- Worker Union Budget 2023-24
No increase in Budget for ICDS; No Increase in remuneration of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers
AIFAWH will organize campaign and protests ; along with other scheme workers’ federations will question the BJP/NDA MPs and Ministers in their constituencies in ‘Javab Mango Abhiyan’
The last full budget of Modi-2 Government deceives more than one crore Scheme Workers including more than 26 lakh Anganwadi Workers and Helpers. The pro-corporate budget totally neglects the issues of poverty, malnutrition and hunger, rampant in India.
The budget allocation for Saksham Ananwadi and Poshan 2.0 Scheme (which includes the Umbrella ICDS, Poshan Abiyan and Scheme for Adolescent girls) has been just nominally increased from Rs.20263.07cr to Rs.20554.31cr; an increase of Rs.291cr only. If we consider the increased number of beneficiaries during the lockdown and the inflation, there is an actual decrease in the budget. In many parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh the supply of nutrition is grossly inadequate and one third of what is necessary. In many states including in Delhi, the room rent for the anganwadi centres are not paid since more than a year. In many states the central share of the remuneration has not been paid to the workers since last many months.
Food subsidy to Food Corporation of India under Food Security Act has been cut down from Rs.21,4696cr (revised estimates 2022-23) to Rs.13,7207cr, a deduction of Rs.77489cr or 36%! This will have an impact in ICDS and MDMS.
In the last budget the Finance minister made an announcement about modernizing 2 lakh anganwadis. At the end of the year the government says (in the implementation of budget declarations) that it has approved the upgradation of 35,758 AWCs in 24 states; what a maximum governance! Apart from this the government has announced strengthening of pre-school in anganwadis.The government of India is forcefully digitizing the anganwadis and targeting the beneficiaries in the name of Aadhar linking etc., in the name of Poshan tracker; but has made no allocation in the budget for provision of mobile phones or data package.
The government which came to power promising better working conditions for anganwadi workers and helpers in their election manifesto has totally neglected the 26 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers who have been fighting against malnutrition for more than four decades. Since 2018, Modi government has not increased their remuneration, in spite of skyrocketing price rise. The government has totally negated the Supreme Court Order on providing gratuity to the anganwadi workers and helpers.
This anti women budget has cut down Rs.40.15 crores in the budget for ‘Mission Shakti’ which includes the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, the maternity benefit scheme.
The budget allocation for National Health Mission has been reduced by Rs.375cr from Rs.37160cr last budget to Rs.36785cr in 2023-24. The allocation for Mid Day Meal Scheme (PM POSHAN) has been cut down by Rs.1200cr from Rs.12800cr ( RE Budget 2022-23) to Rs.11600cr this year.
Allocations for all the social security and pension schemes including the Shram Yogi Mandhan Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana have been cut down in this budget.
AIFAWH calls upon all state committees to protest against the budget.
AIFAWH along with other scheme workers will continue the struggles for implementation of minimum wages, gratuity, pension and other social security benefits and continue our ‘Javab Mango Abhiyan’ in all parliamentary constituencies of NDA MPs and Ministers.
Issued by A R Sindhu
General Secretary
