Ranchi, Feb 19: Purnima Sahu, MLA from Jamshedpur East, on Thursday sharply criticised the Jharkhand Government in the Jharkhand Assembly over honorarium delays, inadequate facilities, and increasing workload of Anganwadi workers, accusing the state of ignoring ground realities.
Raising the issue during the Assembly session, Sahu expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s response and alleged that Anganwadi workers were facing financial hardship due to delays in honorarium payments. “Workers face financial crises because their payments are delayed by two to three months,” she said.
According to the government, a total of 75,411 Anganwadi personnel are currently working across the state, including 38,027 Sevikas and 37,384 Sahayikas. Sevikas receive a monthly honorarium of ₹11,500, while Sahayikas are paid ₹5,750, with annual increments of ₹500 and ₹250 respectively. These workers are also assigned additional responsibilities such as Booth Level Officer duties, census work, and verification under the Maiya Samman Yojana.
Sahu also disputed the government’s claim that the Centre contributes only 23.4 percent towards honorarium payments. “The actual funding ratio is 60% from the Central Government and 40% from the State,” she said, accusing the state government of shifting blame despite timely release of central funds.
Highlighting operational challenges, the MLA raised concerns over inadequate cooking fuel facilities at Anganwadi centres. While the government stated that 35,522 centres have LPG connections and 3,435 are in the process of receiving them, Sahu alleged that delays in payments to gas agencies were disrupting cylinder supply, forcing centres to rely on firewood with an allocation of only ₹0.13 per child per meal.
She further criticised the digital infrastructure provided to Anganwadi workers, stating that 4G mobile phones were insufficient for tasks such as face scanning and real-time reporting. “5G-enabled devices should be provided to ensure schemes reach beneficiaries without technical glitches,” she said.
In its reply, the government clarified that there is currently no proposal to increase honorarium or fuel allowances.
Meanwhile, Sahu also conducted inspections of Anganwadi centres in Sidhgora, Vidyapatinagar, and Birsanagar in Jamshedpur to review nutrition quality, sanitation, and educational facilities. Emphasising the need for improved infrastructure and transparency, she said, “Every effort will be made to improve the basic facilities for children and workers.”
In her concluding remarks in the Assembly, Sahu accused the government of neglecting Anganwadi workers’ welfare. “The state government is ignoring ground realities and attempting to evade its responsibilities. I will continue to raise this issue forcefully in the Assembly to protect the rights and dignity of Anganwadi workers,” she said.
