Anganwadi centers, crucial for providing nutritious food to children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers, are facing severe neglect in Telangana. Teachers and workers at these centers are expressing their discontent, accusing the state government of failing to address their grievances and neglecting the promises made during the elections.
One of the major issues is the unfulfilled promise of retirement benefits. Anganwadi teachers who retired last June are still awaiting their due payments, despite Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s earlier announcement of providing Rs. 2 lakh to teachers and Rs. 1 lakh to workers as part of their retirement package.
The lack of a Government Order (GO) formalizing these benefits has led to widespread frustration. Even after meeting with Women and Child Welfare Minister Seethakka, there has been no progress, leaving many feeling abandoned by the Congress government.
Over 12,000 Anganwadi centers in the state are functioning out of rented buildings, and the government has failed to pay rent for the last nine months. In contrast, the previous BRS government ensured timely payments to building owners. The mounting dues have led to landlords threatening to evict the centers and confiscate their goods. Teachers have been detained by landlords and warned of potential lockouts, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and stress.
A critical aspect of Anganwadi services, the distribution of milk to pregnant and lactating women, has also been disrupted. Due to delays in payment to contractors, milk supply in tetra packs, which should be provided bi-monthly, has been irregular for the past three months. Teachers and workers are urging the government to resolve these financial bottlenecks to ensure uninterrupted milk distribution, which is vital for the health of beneficiaries.