Nashik: Hundreds of anganwadi workers staged a demonstration outside the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday demanding that the decision to shut down 136 anganwadis be withdrawn.The workers — referred to as sevikas and madatnis — protested under the banner Bharatiya Hitrakshak Sabha and raised slogans. They also warned that if Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) did not take cognizance of their demands then they would march to Mumbai.Recently, the civic administration decided to close down 136 anganwadis as they had less than 35 students in them. As a result, 272 employees are facing unemployment. Each anganwadi has one sevika and one madatnis (helper/assistant). They have, however, not shut down the anganwadis despite the civic administration’s decision.There are a total of 412 anganwadis and all the 824 employees supported the agitation. Their demands included strength of students should be made 15-20, anganwadis should be redesigned, basic infrastructure like education material, drinking water facility, toilets etc, training to sevikas and madatnis from experts, anganwadis should be made Smart among others.A memorandum of their demands was submitted to the municipal commissioner, mayor and chief minister. The remaining 276 anganwadis have been permanently shifted to Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).Shalini Pagar (52), a sevika for the past 35 years, said, “I am working in anganwadis since 1992 and before that I worked in ICDS for 15 years. Today, after so many years we have been asked to go home.”Another senior sevika Revati Janorkar said, “We have kept the anganwadis open. We have been appointed in the 1990s with proper interviews following advertisement of the requirement and were given joining letters also.”Sunita Ingle, a sevika, said that anganwadi employees who took care of 65 children at a time are now jobless.“They are saying that the strength of children is less but they are not finding out the reason. In one wards there are 4-5 anganwadis. How do they expect children to be there? Moreover, many private schools are coming up and children get admission through Right to Education. Hence, while giving permission for anganwadis the distance between two Anganwadis should be considered,” Janorkar added.Suman Pagar, another sevika, said that though anganwadis were not directed to be shut they were present for the agitation to support their counterparts. “All the anganwadi employees are here to support our colleagues,” she said.However, since the general body meeting was going on throughout the day, the employees could not meet the officials but said that they would definitely follow it up.

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