Centre to challenge Gujarat HC’s observation on regularization of anganwadi workers helpers

New Delhi, Mar 21 (PTI) The Centre on Friday said it has decided to challenge the Gujarat High Court’s observation directing the Union and state governments to jointly formulate a policy for the regularization of anganwadi workers and anganwadi helpers in government services.
     The Gujarat High Court had in November last year directed the authorities to treat them on par with regularly selected permanent employees holding civil posts.
     The government’s position was clarified in response to a question in the Lok Sabha which asked whether it was aware of the court’s observation urging the formulation of a policy for the absorption of anganwadi workers (AWWs) and anganwadi helpers (AWHs) under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the government’s stance on the matter.
     Responding to the query, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said, “The ministry has examined the relevant judgement and has decided to challenge it.”
     Observing that the discrimination of AWWs (anganwadi workers) and AWHs (anganwadi helpers) with respect to government employees "is writ large", the court of Justice Nikhil S Kariel had directed the Centre and the state governments to jointly formulate a policy for absorption of the posts of AWWs and AWHs in government service and to confer them consequential benefit of regularisation.
     The move comes amid long-standing demands from the Anganwadi workers across various states for job security, fair wages and regularization of their services.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)