Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a program organized at Lok Bhavan on Monday for the inauguration and foundation-laying of Anganwadi projects, said that a target has been set this year to appoint more than 5,000 Anganwadi workers and over 60,000 helpers. The recruitment process has already begun.
Along with this, to ensure social security for Anganwadi workers who take care of children below 6 years of age, benefits of 'Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana' (PMJJBY) and 'Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana' (PMSBY) have been provided. Additionally, under 'Ayushman Bharat Scheme', more than 3 lakh workers and helpers are being given health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year.
CM strongly criticized pre-2017 system. He said, "Earlier, nutrition distribution in the state was controlled by liquor mafia. Rights of malnourished children and mothers were looted. Current government has eliminated this mafia system and implemented a transparent system under which Anganwadi workers and helpers are now being given appointment letters without recommendations. They are also being provided smartphones and modern growth monitoring equipment to make nutrition and child development programs digital and more effective".
CM Yogi said, "Due to lack of smartphones, real-time data from Anganwadi workers was not available earlier. Because data was not uploaded, state’s ranking remained low. Like in Lucknow, smartphone distribution programs will be carried out in all districts. The role of Anganwadi workers is going to expand further. Under the National Education Policy, pre-primary education for children aged 3 to 5 will also be conducted at Anganwadi centers".
Addressing Anganwadi workers and helpers, CM said, "27,000 centers earlier run under basic education are also being handed over to Anganwadi. Recognizing their vital role in developing a child up to the age of six, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given every Anganwadi worker and helper the title of 'Yashoda Maiya'. Just as Yashoda Maiya nurtured Shri Krishna, the same role you are playing today. It is a great honor and it is your responsibility to uphold this dignity and shape future of the nation".
CM said that if a newborn is well-nourished and mother is healthy, future of India is strong. For this, double-engine government has taken several steps in last 9 years. In this fight against diseases and malnutrition, Anganwadi workers and helpers have played the role of charioteers, which is why positive results are visible.
Chief Minister said that Anganwadi centers are being constructed at a cost of ₹137 crore. Foundation stones for child development project office buildings have also been laid. Construction of Anganwadi centers and child development offices worth ₹313 crore has already been completed, and these were also inaugurated together. This campaign is extremely important for a well-nourished, educated and empowered India.
CM Yogi said, that during difficult times, he closely observed the work of Anganwadi workers, ASHA sisters and ANMs. During the COVID period, they worked as frontline workers, protecting themselves while keeping others safe. They implemented Prime Minister’s COVID management strategy at the ground level, conducting screenings and delivering essential services to every household. As a result, effective management of COVID was possible in such a large state, saving many lives.
CM said, "Under the 'Sambhav campaign', more than 1 crore 70 lakh children have been connected to health check-ups and screening in past 9 years. Out of 1.5 lakh malnourished children identified, 80% have been freed from malnutrition. Stunting rate has reduced from 48% to 37%. If data continues to be uploaded on time through mobile phones, state’s national ranking will improve further. Through a face recognition system, supplementary nutrition is being distributed monthly to 1 crore 56 lakh beneficiaries, making UP first state in the country to do so.
CM said that today, 35 lakh children are being provided protein-rich, calorie-balanced hot nutritious meals daily. Was this possible before 2017? No. Before 2017, nutrition distribution was handled by the largest liquor mafia in North India, which was given contracts by the government. He said that he was shocked to learn in 2017 that this mafia had infiltrated even the Women and Child Development Department. They controlled everything, deciding what ration would be given, where it would reach and often it didn’t reach at all. The quality was so poor that it was unfit for consumption. This is why UP was known as a 'BIMARU' state. If childhood itself is malnourished, state is bound to suffer.
Addressing the workers, CM Yogi said he can guarantee that none of them used recommendations or paid money for their selection. Before 2017, if this process had been conducted, none of them would have been selected because honest workers neither pay nor seek recommendations. Back then, both recommendation and money were required, "parchi bhi aur kharchi bhi". Poor people’s rights were looted and now those same people give speeches, which is laughable.
He said that last year, appointment letters were given to 19,424 Anganwadi workers without any complaints. Also, 2,519 workers were promoted to the post of 'Chief Sevika'. The entire process was transparent and the transparency continues today. CM Yogi said that over 69,000 Anganwadi workers and Chief Sevikas are being given smartphones, which will bring efficiency in their work.
Real-time data will improve state's national ranking. Therefore, every Anganwadi center is now becoming a digital service centre. He added that growth monitoring equipment like 1,33,282 stadiometers, 58,237 weighing scales and 10,553 infantometers are being provided.
CM said that such work could have been done earlier, but it was not possible before 2017 because there was no concern for the poor. People born with privilege cannot understand the pain of the poor. They can give speeches but cannot design policies for them. CM said that in 897 child development projects, free health check-up facilities for children under 5 are being provided at block level.
Children should also be linked with Aadhaar. Around 23,647 Anganwadi centers are being developed as 'Saksham Anganwadi centers', equipped with LED TVs, RO water, nutrition gardens and pre-school kits. He said Anganwadi centers will look modern and honorariums should also be improved accordingly. Instructions have been given to prepare proposals and ensure respectable minimum honorarium soon.
He said that earlier outsourcing companies were controlled by mafia or politicians. They would take ₹10,000-12,000 from government but pay workers only ₹5,000-6,000, also charging commission at the time of recruitment. Now, government is setting up a corporation to ensure a corruption-free and exploitation-free system, with respectable wages.
The program, organized by the Women and Child Development Department, was attended by Minister Baby Rani Maurya, Minister of State Pratibha Shukla, Mayor Sushma Kharakwal, MLCs Mukesh Sharma, Ramchandra Pradhan, Lal Ji Prasad Nirmal, MLAs Dr. Neeraj Bora, Amrish Kumar, Jai Devi, Yogesh Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary Leena Johri and others.
