2 lakh anganwadi workers who powered Ladki Bahin success deprived of pay hike

Mumbai: From chief minister Eknath Shinde to his deputies Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis to sitting legislators and aspiring candidates, leaders of the ruling Mahayuti coalition have been at the forefront of celebrations to mark the formal launch of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in Pune last week. But the nearly 200,000 angandwadi workers and helpers who have enroll over 16 million women under the scheme till date have been left in the lurch, denied a long overdue pay hike which was promised to them last year.
“Are anganwadi workers are not Ladki Bahin (beloved sisters) of the state government? Are they disliked sisters?” asked Shubha Shamim, leader of the anganwadi workers’ union in Maharashtra. Left without option, the workers have decided to hold a protest in the city on August 21, she said.
The Ladki Bahin scheme, which entitles women whose annual family income is below ₹2.5 lakh to a monthly allowance of ₹1,500, was announced during the state budget this year with an eye on the upcoming assembly polls. With the total number of beneficiaries estimated at 24.5 million women, its implementation is likely to cost the state government ₹45,000 crore per year.
Given the government’s urgency to enroll 10 million women under the scheme within a month of its launch, anganwadi workers who have a good network in the community in urban as well as rural areas were roped in for the job. Every anganwadi, serviced by a worker and a helper, was given a target of enrolling at least 100 beneficiaries, in addition to their regular job of providing health services to pregnant and lactating mothers and infants.
Nearly 110,000 anganwadi workers and 95,000 helpers across the state worked through day and night to achieve the target despite technical glitches and inclement weather, and without any financial incentives. By Monday, they had enrolled 16.4 million women under the scheme. Over the last week, as nearly 10 million women received ₹3000 in their bank accounts towards the first and second instalments of the scheme, they were both elated and dejected.
“We are happy for women who got ₹3000 under the scheme for two months. But why is the government not giving us a hike despite an assurance last year? Why is this treatment meted out to us,” asked an anganwadi worker from Bhiwandi.
Anganwadi workers and helpers, who come under the state women and child welfare department, are currently paid ₹10,500 and ₹5,500 per month, respectively. In December 2023, following a long-drawn agitation, the state government had promised to raise their salaries along the lines of ASHA workers, who come under the public health department.
Weeks later, ASHA workers were given a ₹5,000 increment, taking their monthly salary to ₹13,000, but anganwadi workers and helpers were ignored.
“Everyone knows about the role played by anganwadi workers in successful implementation of the Ladki Bahin scheme. They worked till midnight to register beneficiaries online. But the state government has not done anything to fulfil its promise of a pay hike,” said Shamim. “The government can spend ₹45,000 crore per year to give ₹1,500 per month to women to get their votes. But it doesn’t have money for a ₹5,000 pay hike to anganwadi workers,” she exclaimed.
Estimates indicate that a ₹5,000 pay hike for the nearly 200,000 anganwadi workers and helpers would cost the state exchequer ₹1,200 crore per annum, a fraction of the amount spent on the Ladki Bahin scheme.
“Since the government has failed to pay heed to our demands, we will hold a protest on August 21 in Mumbai,” said Shamim. Issues of gratuity and pension for anganwadi workers and helpers would also be raised during the protest, she said.
Calls and messages to the women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare seeking comment on the matter remained unanswered.