For more than two months, all 2,357 anganwadi centres in Banka district, Bihar, have been shut down. This closure follows the suspension of anganwadi workers in the district on 7 November, 2023, as they participated in a strike seeking increased wages.
Due to the closure of all 2,357 anganwadi centres in the district, important services for young children and nursing mothers have been paused. These services include providing essential foods such as grains and pulses to kids under six and nursing mothers. Additionally, the educational activities and lunch programmes for children aged three to six at anganwadis have also been stopped.
The closure of anganwadi centres in Banka district has caused concern among both the workers and the people who benefit from their services. To address this, Nitesh Kumar, chief minister, Bihar, announced on 6 January 2024, that the workers would soon be reinstated and their monthly pay would be raised.
Since October, anganwadi workers from all over Bihar have been staging protests under the Bihar Anganwadi Karamchari Sangh. They are demanding an increase in their monthly pay and wish to be recognised as government employees. Currently, those working as anganwadi sevika receive a monthly pay of Rs 5,950, while an anganwadi sahayika gets Rs 2,975. After the protests in October, the social-welfare department removed all 2,273 sevikas and 2,051 sahayikas from their jobs in Banka district.
On 7 November 2023, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Banka officer said the workers’ strike messed up important services, violating the Food Security Act.
