'Regularise the anganwadis'

K Hemalata, general secretary of the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, speaks to Sreelatha Menon on government apathy toward anganwadi workers

What would it take to improve the lot of anganwadi workers under the Integrated Child Development Services?

The government spends just Rs 1,000 on an anganwadi worker and Rs 500 on a helper. But they run the nation's only pre-school programmme, immunisation programme, the new adolescent girl scheme, BPL surveys, insurance work, self-help group (SHG) formation, and any new work that is assigned to them. They need to be regularised. What is happening now is exploitation.

Has the recent meeting with the prime minister helped?

No. We are going for a nation-wide strike on July 10. It was our second meeting with the prime minister in six months. Earlier, he had asked the Union Women and Child Ministry to look at our salaries, and our demand for regularisation. A committee was set up, the recommendations were made in January but no one knows what happened after that. The prime minister said he didn't know about them.

What would regularisation cost the government?

It would mean that the over 750,000 million anganwadi workers and their helpers are made government staff. We want to make them grade three and four employees. The total cost would be Rs 3,500 crore. This is the only deal that can be fair to them as in most states they work for eight hours and are paid a pittance. This is against human rights.

What about the money given by states?

Some states pay money, some don't. For example, Uttarakhand pays the highest at around Rs 1,500 besides the central share of Rs 1,000. In Delhi, the state government pays Rs 800 besides the Centre's contribution of Rs 1,000. Is that fair?

Anganwadis are being blamed for poor nutrition provided to children.

The Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) for anganwadis can't be a complete answer to nutrition needs of the children below the age of six. The SNP has to be strengthened. At present, the states are not providing food under the SNP and are just providing the anganwadis with money. The money is put in accounts of the anganwadi officials and the panchayat presidents. There is corruption and only anganwadi workers are being blamed. We are fighting against this.

Besides, the Centre is contributing just 50 per cent to the cost of this meager nutrition content.