The replacement of Rajendra Paul Gautam as Woman and Child Development Minister is an indication that the Delhi government is starting to worry about the anganwadi agitation that shows no signs of abating, with civic polls on the horizon.
Gautam’s removal was a quiet move, coming a couple of days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had already carried out a Cabinet reshuffle to work out other problem areas.
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Anganwadi workers and helpers have now been protesting since January 31, seeking a raise in their monthly honorarium.
Sources said that the main reason behind Gautam’s removal was that the anganwadi protests have got plenty of media attention and the minister has not been able to handle the situation and address the problem.
The show-cause notices to about 3,000 to 4,000 workers and termination notices to 27 for actively participating in the protest have not had any deterrent effect and might have only worsened the situation.
Party leaders see the agitation as discomfiting at a time when AAP is trying to raise its political profile in other states on the back of its governance model, apart from the municipal corporation polls that are up ahead. AAP is expecting the high from the Punjab win, apart from the BJP’s own anti-incumbency in the corporations it has now been ruling for 15 years, to help it sweep the civic polls – with the protest a cloud on the horizon.
Anganwadi workers holding protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)
The agitation has also hit the functioning of anganwadis, with consequent effect on expecting mothers and young children.
The view within the WCD also is that the approach to handling of the protest has been, and continues to be, more confrontational than it should be. “Around 90% of workers and helpers have joined back now, but there is a push to issue (more) termination notices… Officers are being pressured to sign these notices for all workers and helpers who didn’t rejoin their centres by March 9. Many of us don’t want to do it… these are people who have been working with us for years,” said an official.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who now holds the WCD portfolio, started Day 1 of his new assignment with a meeting with officials, and a visit to anganwadi centres. “The entire anganwadi staff has promised to continue working to ensure the smooth functioning of all centres. I’ve also assured them that the Delhi government will do everything in its capacity to resolve their grievances. I appeal to all workers who have still not returned, to resume duties. We will all have to work together to ensure a safer future for our children,” he said after the visit.
He also issued an order that those angwanwadi workers willing to work “are not forcibly made to stay away from work by miscreants”. Revenue officials have been ordered to visit at least 10 centres daily, and DMs at least one, to ensure their proper functioning.
Anganwadi workers holding protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)
However, the anganwadi workers are determined to continue their protest, even if they have temporarily suspended it after imposition of the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act. They have said they will challenge thte action in court and boycott both the AAP and BJP in the municipal corporation elections. “If the government really wants to resolve the issue, they should get into a conversation, and second, withdraw all the termination notices… If the court does not rule in our favour, we will restart our strike… Till the time there isn’t a respectful understanding, anganwadi workers, their families and their localities will completely boycott AAP and ensure that nobody in our localities votes for them,” said union president Shivani Kaul.
In another change, the portfolio of PWD was taken by Kejriwal from Satyendar Jain and given to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who already holds 10 portfolios like Education, Finance, Excise and others.
Sources in the Delhi government said Jain faced action for the delay in several projects, such as construction of the underpass and flyover at the busy traffic junction of Ashram, apart from the ambitious plan of streetscaping to redevelop Delhi roads to “European standards”. Not even a single such stretch has been completed, even as complaints of poor road infrastructure and traffic jams are back, with the city in full un-lockdown.
Under the streetscaping plan, the seven most congested stretches in Delhi were selected in 2018 to be revamped in one year. Now, Sisodia is taking daily updates about the ongoing projects and has asked officials to complete the same by June 30, sources said.