With scores of anganwadi workers and helpers sitting on an indefinite strike for the last 19 days, several anganwadi centres across the city remain shut, affecting services to the public.
All five centres in three different areas visited by The Hindu on Thursday were shut and posters outside some of them read that the workers were on strike.
Many of the women anganwadi workers and helpers, who have been staging a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence since January 31, said their centres too are shut since they began the strike.
Workers under the banner of Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union have been demanding higher wages, regularisation and retirement benefits. The president of the union, Shivani Kaul, said over 9,000 of the around 11,000 anganwadi centres in Delhi are shut.
“About 85% of the around 11,000 anganwadi centres in the city are shut and every day 8,000-10,000 workers and helpers are protesting outside the Chief Minister’s house,” Ms. Kaul said.
One of the major benefits people receive from an anganwadi centre is dry ration for pregnant and lactating women and children below the age of six, who are yet to join school.
This is distributed every 15 days and it has not happened since the strike began 19 days ago, according to officials and beneficiaries.
When contacted, a Delhi government spokesperson did not offer a comment.
Locked centres
At Maharani Bagh in south Delhi, anganwadi centre number 86 was closed on Thursday morning with a notice stuck outside informing people about the indefinite strike.
N. Babu, 40, who lives close to the centre said he has 5-month-old twins and had got the dry ration from that centre last month.
“This month we have not received our packet of dry ration yet,” Mr. Babu said, standing outside his house.
Showing a vaccination card of his twins, he said the anganwadi workers had helped him get vaccines for free from government facilities.
“If we take these injections from a private hospital, it will cost us a lot of money. The anganwadi worker advised us and gave all the information and so far we have got all injections for the twins for free,” Mr. Babu said.
A little away from there, centre number 89 was locked from outside and a handwritten message in Hindi stuck on the door read “I’m on strike”, with names of the worker and helper employed at the centre mentioned below the message.
“My sister-in-law had got the ration last month but she hasn’t got it this month,” said Nirmala Devi, 54, who lives near the centre.
An anganwadi worker who lives in the area said all 19 centres in the area are shut since the protest began.
Two centres in Kotla Mubarakpur and another one close to the Nizamuddin Dargah were also closed on Thursday.
“All the anganwadi centres in the area are closed as the workers are on strike,” said Mohammad Muktiyar, who runs a shop outside the centre in Nizamuddin.
With scores of anganwadi workers and helpers sitting on an indefinite strike for the last 19 days, several anganwadi centres across the city remain shut, affecting services to the public.All five centres in three different areas visited by The Hindu on Thursday were shut and posters outside some of them read that the workers were on strike. Many of the women anganwadi workers and helpers, who have been staging a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence since January 31, said their centres too are shut since they began the strike.Workers under the banner of Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union have been demanding higher wages, regularisation and retirement benefits. The president of the union, Shivani Kaul, said over 9,000 of the around 11,000 anganwadi centres in Delhi are shut. “About 85% of the around 11,000 anganwadi centres in the city are shut and every day 8,000-10,000 workers and helpers are protesting outside the Chief Minister’s house,” Ms. Kaul said.One of the major benefits people receive from an anganwadi centre is dry ration for pregnant and lactating women and children below the age of six, who are yet to join school.This is distributed every 15 days and it has not happened since the strike began 19 days ago, according to officials and beneficiaries.When contacted, a Delhi government spokesperson did not offer a comment. Locked centres At Maharani Bagh in south Delhi, anganwadi centre number 86 was closed on Thursday morning with a notice stuck outside informing people about the indefinite strike.N. Babu, 40, who lives close to the centre said he has 5-month-old twins and had got the dry ration from that centre last month.“This month we have not received our packet of dry ration yet,” Mr. Babu said, standing outside his house.Showing a vaccination card of his twins, he said the anganwadi workers had helped him get vaccines for free from government facilities.“If we take these injections from a private hospital, it will cost us a lot of money. The anganwadi worker advised us and gave all the information and so far we have got all injections for the twins for free,” Mr. Babu said.A little away from there, centre number 89 was locked from outside and a handwritten message in Hindi stuck on the door read “I’m on strike”, with names of the worker and helper employed at the centre mentioned below the message. “My sister-in-law had got the ration last month but she hasn’t got it this month,” said Nirmala Devi, 54, who lives near the centre. An anganwadi worker who lives in the area said all 19 centres in the area are shut since the protest began. Two centres in Kotla Mubarakpur and another one close to the Nizamuddin Dargah were also closed on Thursday.“All the anganwadi centres in the area are closed as the workers are on strike,” said Mohammad Muktiyar, who runs a shop outside the centre in Nizamuddin.