NEW DELHI: The Centre has revised the guidelines on paid absence on maternity and abortion or miscarriage to anganwadi workers and helpers in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
Under the revised guidelines of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), paid absence on maternity would be provided for a period of 180 days and would be admissible for a maximum of two occasions.
However, this paid leave would be admissible only to anganwadi workers and helpers with two surviving children, or less than that.
As per the new guidelines, paid leave on abortion or miscarriage would be provided for a maximum of 45 days from the date of occurrence of abortion or miscarriage.
Similarly, it would be admissible only on one occasion irrespective of the number of children. In order to avail the facility, anganwadi worker should have already completed at least one year of service as such a worker.
The Ministry also directed to display name boards depicting the name of the centre and Integrated Child Development Services logo at the entrance of the anganwadi centre, which would give a visual impact and also help in improving the awareness of the community on the ICDS scheme.