Don’t deploy Anganwadi workers on non-health activities: Centre tells chief secretaries

RAIPUR: No Anganwadi workers will now be working beyond their defined roles or burdened with responsibilities outside the range of their specified tasks.

The Centre has firmly asked the state governments not to deploy Anganwadi workers for any work or duties other than their given roles and functions.

The directive has been issued by the Rabindra Panwar, secretary, ministry of women and child development to the chief secretary of all the states and union territories, following the information that Anganwadi workers were being engaged for other purposes like election-related duties or carrying out surveys either by the state governments or the district administrations.

The union secretary’s letter addressed to the chief secretaries stated that the absence of Anganwadi workers leads to the closure of the centres which severely impacts effective delivery of various health and nutrition-related services.

And if the Anganwadi centres remain closed due to the engagement of such workers in other activities, it will adversely affect the efforts to improve the nutritional status of women and children in the country, he affirmed.  

Panwar cited Anganwadi workers are key functionaries who deliver a set of services to children up to 6 years of age, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

The Centre in conjunction with state governments is making concerted efforts to improve the health and nutrition indicators though POSHAN Abhiyaan for reduction of stunting, low-birth weight, undernutrition and anaemia, he added.

The chief secretary has been told to issue strict instructions to all the concerned departments and officers not to engage them for any other duties except the Anganwadi services, poshan abhiyaan, scheme for adolescent girls, pradhan mantra Vandana yojana and other women & child related works/activities. The copy of order or instruction to be issued by the chief secretary has been asked to be shared with the ministry.