We Raise Odisha’s Children, Who Will Raise Our Pay? – Anganwadi Stir Intensifies

Thousands of Anganwadi Workers thronged Bhubaneswar on Saturday demanding an immediate hike in salaries. Nearly 10,000 Anganwadi Workers and Helpers from across Odisha swamped Lower PMG Square, calling for a pay scale equal to that of a police constable.

In the broiling late-morning sun, the protesters squatted on the tarmac, banging steel plates and chanting slogans in support of their 11-point charter — a charter they say has been ignored despite repeated assurances by the government. “They grow up to be the future of Odisha in our centres, but we are treated like daily wagers,” association president Kalpana Jena shouted from the dharna mandap.

Key Demands

• Recognition of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers as government employees

• Statutory status for the ICDS scheme

• Minimum monthly honorarium of ₹18,000 for workers and ₹9,000 for helpers

• Immediate implementation of the salary revision promised in the BJP’s 2024 election manifesto

• Utilisation of trained Anganwadi Workers as schoolteachers

The massive agitation brought vehicular movement on Janpath to a grinding halt from early morning. Senior police officials continued discussions with the protest leaders, but the workers announced they would not withdraw until the Minister of Women & Child Development, Aswini Patra, holds a face-to-face dialogue.

With the winter session of the Odisha Assembly slated to begin on Monday, the Anganwadi workers have made their stance clear — no more verbal assurances. They vowed to return home only after the government issues a formal notification, not a written promise.