Anganwadi workers stage massive protest in Rayagada, submit charter of demands to collector
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, October 12: In response to a state-level call by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)-affiliated All Odisha Anganwadi Ladies Workers’ Association, more than 5,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers staged a massive demonstration outside the District Collector’s office on Monday. The agitators submitted a 10-point charter of demands addressed to the Chief Minister of Odisha and Wome & Child Development Minister through the District Collector.
The agitation began near the Rayagada Railway Station square, led by District President Jayanti Padmalaya Sahu and Secretary Usharani Dash. The workers took out a massive rally through the major thoroughfares of the town before culminating in a dharna in front of the Collectorate. Addressing the gathering, chief guest and BMS State Vice President Jogeswar Das highlighted the vital role played by Anganwadi workers in lowering maternal and infant mortality rates and executing grassroots welfare schemes. He criticized the administration’s apathy toward their longstanding grievances, warning that the union would launch a statewide agitation if the demands were not met promptly.
Other key leaders present included BMS District Secretary Ganesh Kumar Sahu, President Mohan Rao Majhi, Working President Dharma Singh Nag, and Vice President Durga Madhab Ghosh. The demonstration was coordinated by Sanjukta Herpal, Mamata Kumari Biridalai, Mohini Palaka, Bisnupriya Dalei, Sanjukta Rath, Manjula Mandal, Jyotsna Sahu, Shanti Kadraka, Hemalata Choudhury, Basanti Jilakara, and Rita Rani Panda.
Key Demands included supply of high-specification smartphones, stable network connectivity, and Wi-Fi to address Poshan Tracker app crashes, Aadhaar-linking errors, and Facial Recognition System (FRS) failures. The association also demanded a quarterly mobile recharge allowance of Rs 900 and shifting facial capture verification to a semi-annual cycle, exemption from maintaining redundant physical offline registers for tasks already logged digitally via the mobile application was demanded, direct crediting of funds to the joint account in advance for supplying boiled and raw eggs under the Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana (MSPY), along with clear budgetary guidelines for fuel expenses, constitution of block- and district-level grievance redressal committees to resolve localized operational hurdles, upgradation of Anganwadi centers into well-constructed permanent buildings with dedicated drinking water supply, alongside strict quality control for supplementary nutritional food items, immediate ex-gratia compensation and compassionate employment to eligible family members in the event of an in-service death of a worker or helper, official replacement of the term, “Disengage” with “Retirement” in service rules, along with disbursement of all retirement benefits within two months, implementation of pending election manifesto commitments and preferential consideration for qualified Anganwadi workers under the National Education Policy (NEP).
