MADURAI: Opposing the process of using facial recognition for the distribution of Take-Home Ration (THR), Anganwadi workers in Tamil Nadu announced state-wide protests on March 4.
Addressing media persons, All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) president A R Sindhu and Tamil Nadu Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association general secretary T Daisy said the Ministry of Women and Child Development announced the rollout of a facial recognition two-factor authentication system for distribution of THR from March 1 across the country. Anganwadi workers from Tamil Nadu will not follow the facial recognition system due to practical difficulties, they said.
"Under the facial recognition authentication system, the camera captures a beneficiary's face, which is then compared against a database of registered faces to verify their identity. Based on their Aadhaar number, an OTP will be sent to the registered number. After providing the OTP, the verification would be completed.
These beneficiaries are pregnant women and new mothers. In that case, their family members will receive the THR. Even if the beneficiaries do visit, it is difficult for Anganwadi workers to carry out this process as the department has an acute shortage of workers. A single anganwadi worker was forced to look into two or three centres at a time," she said.
Anganwadi workers are surviving on a meagre monthly salary of Rs 4,400, which is lower than the minimum wage. Further, poor internet connectivity in rural areas hinders the system's functionality, they said, and urged the state government to push the centre to withdraw this move.
They also demanded that the government fulfil their four charter demands, including regularisation of employment with a salary of Rs 26,000 for anganwadi workers and Rs 21,000 for helpers.
They also pointed out that a decade ago, jobs of anganwadi workers in Pondicherry were regularised.