Many of the workers have been complaining that the ICDS guidelines are never followed and the scheme suffers from all kinds of bureaucratic pressures, apathy of officials towards their staff, no power in the hands of the staff for decision making, disinterest and growing discontent due to forced duty in the same post for years together, without any scope for promotion.
Workers defamed
High-level officials remain totally insensitive to the problems of the
Anganwadi workers and helpers, who are forced to work overtime without extra
remuneration. They are also indifferent to the hardships faced by the
beneficiaries, who suffer due to lack of infrastructure and staff. For this
state of affairs, it is the workers who have to take the major share of blame
from beneficiaries of the Scheme.
The District Programme Officers (DPOs), who are appointed through the Public
Service Commission, realize that they are likely to retire in the same posts in
which they had been initially appointed, since there is no cadre review. In addition,
no new posts beyond DPO are being created, consequently there is no scope for
further promotion. In this context, they vent their frustration through inhuman
behaviour with their subordinates-the Anganwadi Workers.
A similar situation exists for the Child Development Programme Officers (CDPOs)
who do not have the authority for decision making and have to bear with undue intervention of the Ministry. Although there are 50 vacant posts for DPOs, they
hardly ever get promotion. Rather, they are allotted additional charges and
responsibilities, and they are made to work by payment of convenience fee
(Suvidha Shulk).Hence most of them have become apathetic to promotion of other
colleagues in the same category preferring not to get involved in cut-throat
competition for promotions.
On the other hand, the Anganwadi Supervisors who are working in the same post
for almost 30 years are not promoted even if there are vacancies.
