AGARTALA: Anganwadi workers and helpers in Tripura staged a major protest in Agartala, blocking the main road outside the Office of the District Welfare & Social Education (DWSW) officer in Abhoynagar.
The protesters demanded immediate fulfillment of their 9-point charter of demands, declaring that the road blockade would continue until senior officials or ministers arrived to discuss their grievances.
Key 9-Point Demands
- Regularization & Equal Pay: Immediate regularization of Anganwadi workers and helpers with equal pay for equal work.
- Payment of Gratuity: Granting gratuity with interest in compliance with the orders of the single bench and division bench of the High Court of Tripura.
- Promotion to Supervisor: Filling 50% of Supervisor vacancies through promotions from experienced Anganwadi workers and helpers.
- Extension of Retirement Age: Raising the retirement age limit for workers and helpers to 65 years.
- Pension Scheme: Granting a minimum monthly pension of ₹10,000 for Anganwadi workers and ₹7,000 for helpers upon retirement.
- Festival Bonus: Providing a Puja bonus of ₹10,000 to all workers and helpers.
- Digital Support for Poshan Tracker: Providing laptops along with mobile data recharge facilities to handle Poshan Tracker app operations.
- Increased Feed Bill Allocation: Enhancing Poshan Aahar (Feed Bill) allowances across all 57 ICDS projects in Tripura to match current market prices.
- Monthly Meal Expense Clearance: Timely monthly disbursement of feed bill funds for all Anganwadi centers.
Administrative Response & Deputation
Along with the road blockade, a delegation of protesters submitted a formal memorandum detailing their demands to officials at the Social Welfare and Social Education Department. Local police and TSR personnel were deployed to manage the traffic disruption and maintain order in the Abhoynagar area.
