Anganwadi Workers and Helpers for a period of six months – Under the provisions of the AP ESMA Notification

Anganwadi Workers and Helpers for a period of six months – Under the provisions of the AP ESMA Notification

Department For Women, Children, Differently Abled And Senior Citizens – Declaration of services rendered by Anganwadi Workers and Helpers as Essential Services – Prohibition of strikes by Anganwadi Workers and Helpers for a period of six months – Under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Essential Services and Maintenance Act, 1971 Notification – Orders – Issued,G.O.Rt.No.2 Dated: 06.01.2024. 

Read the following:
Proposal in the e-file bearing Computer No.2135174/2023 of the Commissioner, WD&CW, Govt., of A.P.

ORDER:
The following Notification will be published in the extraordinary issue of the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, dated: 06-01-2024.

NOTIFICATION

Whereas, in accordance with Section 39 of the National Food Security Act, 2013, the Government of India have issued the Supplementary Nutrition (Under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme) Rules, 2017 dated: 20.02.2017 and as outlined in Rule-9 of the Act, it is the duty of the respective State Governments to oversee and assess the adequacy of arrangements for the supplementary nutrition and ensure consistent and uninterrupted supply of supplementary nutrition at all ensure that Anganwadi Centres. 

The State Governments are mandated to supplementary nutrition is provided to all beneficiaries for a total of 300 days in a year, averaging 25 days in any given month.

2. And whereas, the Government, having engaged in discussions and fulfilling majority of the demands put forth by Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, and having issued an appeal to all Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, the Government, having exhausted all available avenues for resolution, is of the opinion that the ongoing indefinite strike initiated by the Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers since 12.12.2023 is inflicting grave hardship and inconvenience to the marginalized, vulnerable and weaker section of pregnant women, lactating mothers, and tender children aged between 0 to 6 years across the State due to the non-fulfilment of the supplementary nutrition services.

3. And whereas, due to the ongoing strike, daily attendance of approximately 7.5 lakh pre-school children at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) has significantly dropped to only two lakh children and there has been a notable absence of new registration, particularly of pregnant women and lactating mothers amounting to approximately 45,000 individuals per month. This situation is adversely affecting the essential services such as growth monitoring of malnourished children aged 0 to 6 years, immunization, health check-ups and referral services.

4. And since the health and wellbeing of the aforementioned pregnant women, lactating mothers and their children are entirely reliant on the services rendered by the Anganwadi workers and helpers at various Anganwadi Centres across the State.

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (vi) of clause (a) of sub- section (1) of section 2 of the Andhra Pradesh Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1971, the Government of Andhra Pradesh hereby declare the following service to be Essential Services for the purposes of the Act.

The services of Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers at all Anganwadi Centres, across the State.

5. And whereas, the Government, in the interest of the public, deems it necessary and expedient to enforce a prohibition on strikes by Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers throughout the State.

6. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Essential Services and Maintenance Act, 1971, the Government hereby prohibits strikes by Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers at all Anganwadi Centres for a period of six months with effect from the date of publication of the Notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette.

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