New Delhi: The newly appointed Women and Child Development Minister Kailash Gahlot visited two Anganwadi Centres in Humayunpur and Nizamuddin area to understand the grievances of the staff there, assuring that the AAP government will do everything in its capacity to support them.
The newly-appointed WCD Minister is taking over amid protests from anganwadi workers, seeking a government employee tag and a hiked monthly pay, along with employment benefits.
After the L-G invoked the ESMA and prohibited the stir, the workers temporarily suspended their protest and on Friday said they intend to challenge this order in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Gahlot interacted with the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers to understand their grievances and their demands and support which are required to maintain and upscale the services provided at the centres.
"I appeal to all workers who have still not returned, to resume duties. We will all have to work together to ensure a safer future for our children. The department is strongly motivated and I am looking forward to the betterment of both the staff and public," he said.
The city has a network of 10,897 Anganwadi Centres which are divided across 95 sanctioned projects and have 10,653 Anganwadi Workers and 10,890 Anganwadi Helpers in total. The POSHAN schemes delivered through the network of Anganwadis alone have benefitted 8.98 lakh beneficiaries this January, which includes children in the age group 0-3 years, 3-6 years and pregnant and lactating mothers, the department said in a statement.
"The entire Anganwadi staff has promised to continue working to ensure the smooth functioning of all centres. I've also assured them that the Delhi government will do everything in its capacity to address and resolve the demands and grievances they face," the Minister added.
Gahlot also interacted with parents and children and enquired about the conditions of the centres, quality of early childhood care and education offered at the visited centres. The Minister urged the senior officials to conduct regular visits to all centres, to ensure efficient functioning, accountability and transparency within the department. The operations at both Humayunpur and Nizamuddin Anganwadis have resumed with all Anganwadi workers working at full capacity.
Anganwadis want to continue stir
Meanwhile, the DSAWHU on Friday said that the Delhi government had joined hands with the L-G to stop their protest. "We put a brave and historic fight but had to abruptly call off our stir," Shivani Kail, union chief, said, adding, "The ESMA can only be executed on government employees but in the rush to suppress our voices, the administration forgot that they don't even consider us as government employees, we are just voluntary workers." While the union has said it is approaching the SC against the ESMA order, it added that it will hold off the protest till the court decides but is also prepared to strike again against the ESMA order as it was "unconstitutional".