Imphal: Anganwadi workers and helpers staged a protest at the Social Welfare Department today, opposing new recruitment efforts until their long-standing grievances are addressed. The demonstrators specifically challenged the Departmental Promotion Committee process for fresh appointments, insisting that the government prioritize the needs of its current staff first.
Among their primary demands is raising the retirement age from 60 to 65 years, a change they believe would offer necessary job security. Workers also called for the introduction of formal retirement benefits, noting that long-serving grassroots employees currently lack adequate social safety nets.
Financial transparency was another central focus of the demonstration. Protesters demanded that all incentives and honorariums, including payments for the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and Poshan Tracker duties, be deposited directly into their bank accounts. They also sought the immediate release of overdue payments for workers who have served for over three years.
Beyond financial concerns, the group pushed for improvements to the Integrated Child Development Services programme. They urged the department to provide better quality supplementary nutrition that is both nutritious and appealing to children. The workers warned that they will continue their agitation if officials do not take concrete steps to resolve these outstanding issues.
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