The workers are perplexed over the fact that they are being made to chose between being an anganawadi worker or a public representative, even as they do not receive any government employee benefits, apart from getting an honorarium. Nor are they covered under the Karnataka Civil Services Rules (KCSR).
Although the Centre had allowed people occupying honorary positions to contest local elections earlier, the State Department of Women and Child Development had written to the Centre seeking a reversal of the direction, arguing that workers juggling between positions could impede work in the Anganawadis.
The Centre has given its consent to the State’s observation, stating: “The workers will find it hard to manage the centres as they would have additional responsibilities as local representatives.”
Speaking about the new direction, the State Women and Child Development Authority Director Shamla Iqbal said: “The Centre, which pays the Anganawadi workers the honorarium, has given us the direction. It has also been made clear that we do not have to approach the Election Commission regarding the matter.”
The circular has already been sent to all the concerned authorities as well as Anganawadi workers who have contested and won Grampanchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections in Davangere, Gadag, Uttar Kannada and Gulbarga districts.
Anganawadi workers are worried that they would go jobless if they lose elections in the future, which many believe will force them to avoid a political career.
On the contrary, in case they resign from their positions as local representatives, the State is staring at a re-election in the districts. State Election Commission Secretary D K Ravindranath, while agreeing that there would be re-elections in case of the workers resigning, said the commission would follow the orders of the courts and existing rules.
The Anganawadi Workers’ Union affiliated to AITUC has written to the State Government seeking a provision allowing such workers to reclaim their jobs once their five-year term as elected representatives ends.
Union President H K Ramachandra said: “In case the government does not respond to our plea, we will go to court,” adding that the workers might not contest elections in the future.
He said the Supreme Court, while looking into a petition filed by the Government of Karnataka had ruled that the Anganawadi workers are not State Government employees.