Anganwadi Centres are crucial for empowering children: Governor

Guwahati, July 20: In view of resentment of Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers to solve their pressing demands, Governor Banwarilal Purohit dashed off a letter to the Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi on June 17 and sought her intervention to resolve the issues,  a press release said.

Acting swiftly on the letter of the Governor, Minister Gandhi sent a reply on July 17, assuring the Governor that the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been sincerely considering to improve the working conditions of the AWWs and AWHs by extending facilities like paid absence on maternity, insurance cover under the Anganwadi Karyakartri Bima Yoja, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yoja, Pradhan Suraksha Bima Yoja. Moreover, the letter mentioned the measures that the government has taken for the amelioration of the working condition of the Anganwadi workers and helpers like raising honorarium of AWWs and AWHs to Rs. 3000 and Rs. 1500 respectively.  It may be noted that the Government of Assam at present is also giving the honorarium of Rs. 1000 and       Rs. 500 to AWWs and AWHs respectively raising the accrued amount to Rs. 4000 and Rs. 2000 for AWWs and AWHs.

Besides, for spearheading a new paradigm of development guided by Anganwadi Centres, convergence with various line departments are being taken up. To add teeth to the working of Anganwadi Centres which are besieged with several shortcomings, effective convergence has been done with Health and Family Welfare Department, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation Departments etc.

For the professiol growth of the AWWs, the letter also mentioned that the Ministry of Women and Child Development issued guidelines on September 15, 2015 making the inroads clear for absorption of 50 per cent of vacancies in the posts of supervisors for AWWs.

Further 25 per cent of vacancies in the posts of AWWs are also reserved for Anganwadi Helpers.

Governor Purohit however, hailed the steps taken by the Ministry of Women and Child Development led by Maneka Gandhi and said that through revamping Anganwadi Centres wings can be given to millions of hopes, aspirations and dreams of millions of children in the country whose ambition otherwise would have been lost in oblivion.