Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with State Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and State Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare at the launch of Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana in Pune in August 2024. | Photo Credit: ANI
Anganwadi workers in Maharashtra are still awaiting payment for their crucial role in implementing the Mahayuti government’s flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election in November last year.
These workers were tasked with enrolling eligible women beneficiaries in the 21-60 age group for the ₹1,500 monthly assistance scheme. A Government Resolution (GR) had promised ₹50 for each online application form filled.
For three months since the launch of the scheme, Maharashtra’s 1,08,507 anganwadi workers and 74,746 helpers were engaged in its implementation, bringing to a halt the education of children at anganwadis in the State.
Recounting the overwhelming experience of handling a large number of applications in cities, Sangeeta Kamble, an anganwadi worker in Mumbai’s Mankhurd, said: “Women would start lining up outside our homes and anganwadis from 7 a.m.”
‘Technical glitches’
Initially, in August 2024, the mobile app for filling forms was non-functional, causing frustration and wastage of time, Ms. Kamble said. “At times, we had to use other people’s mobile phones with better Internet connectivity. In October, we learnt that only applications filled and uploaded using the mobile phones of registered anganwadi workers would be considered. We do not know whether we will receive fair compensation for our work,” she said.
Shubha Shamim, president of the CITU-affiliated Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana and convener of Maharashtra Anganwadi Action Samity, criticised the government for failing to specify working hours and daily targets in the GR, and improving the mobile application’s functionality and Internet connectivity. She highlighted the overwhelming workload of anganwadi workers and helpers, who filled over 200 forms daily in rural areas and over 400 forms in urban areas, severely impacting their personal lives.
Chhaya Gangadhar Kagdelwar, an anganwadi worker from Etapalli village in Gadchiroli district, said 223 workers in her taluka filled 1.22 lakh forms without fixed working hours. “The government was desperate to win the election, and made us work day and night. While the beneficiaries received assistance, those who implemented the scheme were pushed behind. This is unfair,” she said.
Despite technical glitches in the mobile app and untimely power cuts, application forms for the scheme were filled, Ms. Kagdelwar said. However, applications were rejected if the applicants lacked essential documents such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, or birth certificates, or hadn’t completed the KYC details with their banks. She said the scheme was the sole focus of the three months preceding the election, with anganwadi workers filling forms from 7 a.m. to midnight, causing the education of children to come to a halt.
Kanchan Punjaram Wahule, an anganwadi worker from Daregaon village in Jalna district, said there is no clarity about when they will receive compensation for their efforts. Describing their gruelling work schedule, Ms. Wahule said, “After cooking daily meals and feeding children, anganwadi workers and helpers would fill forms from 2 p.m. till 1 or 2 a.m., often working over 12 hours a day due to poor Internet connectivity. We also made door-to-door visits and walked miles to ensure the scheme reached every beneficiary. We sometimes faced frustration from applicants whose forms were rejected due to lack of required documents.”
An anganwadi worker said they were instructed by supervisors to mobilise beneficiaries in large numbers to attend every event and public rally, adding to their workload, with buses arranged to transport the beneficiaries. Some workers also took on the task to earn extra income, but they now harbour uncertainty about whether they will actually receive the compensation.
Funds available: govt.
An official from the Women and Child Development Department said funds for anganwadi workers are available, but disbursal will be carried out only after data collection is completed. “The department is currently verifying the number of forms filled by each worker. Remuneration will be credited to their bank accounts by January based on this assessment,” the official said.
So far, 2.48 crore beneficiaries have received ₹1,500 under the scheme. “We have not been able to credit the amount to 10 lakh women because their Aadhaar cards are not linked with their bank accounts,” the official said.
Published – January 02, 2025 01:34 am IST
