Editor,
I would like to draw the attention of the state government and Chief Minister Pema Khandu towards the plight of the thousands of anganwadi workers (AWWs) and anganwadi helpers (AWHs) working under the Integrated Child Development Services scheme in Arunachal Pradesh.
While the role of an anganwadi worker is technically classified as ‘honorary’, the reality is that they function as the backbone of the government’s welfare system at the grassroots level. From immunisation drives and pre-school education to nutritional support and conducting government surveys, their workload is immense and vital. To the common public, they appear to hold a government job; however, the reality of their compensation is heartbreakingly different.
It is a bitter truth that the current honorarium paid to these women is significantly lower than the daily wages of an unskilled manual labourer. What is worse is the irregularity of these payments. These workers often have to wait several months to receive their meagre dues, forcing them into debt just to run their households.
Furthermore, there is a severe lack of career progression. A worker who has dedicated 20 years of her life to the department receives the same honorarium as a fresh recruit. There is no seniority benefit, no increment, and perhaps, most painfully, no retirement benefit. After serving a lifetime – often walking miles in difficult terrain to serve the state – they retire with empty hands, with no pension to support them in their old age.
Given the skyrocketing market inflation, it is impossible to sustain a family on the current honorarium. Therefore, we earnestly appeal to the state government to consider a humanitarian hike in the honorarium to a minimum of Rs 12,000 for anganwadi workers and Rs 10,000 for helpers.
We request our dynamic chief minister to consider this appeal as a priority. Hiking the honorarium would be the perfect New Year gift to these hardworking mothers and sisters of Arunachal. We assure you that such a gesture will earn the government the blessings and gratitude of thousands of women who work tirelessly for the future of this state.
Musa Bhai,
On behalf of AWWs & AWHs,
Arunachal Pradesh