Tue Mar 04 19:29:14 UTC 2025: **Chennai Anganwadi Workers Protest for Promotions, Staff Shortages**
CHENNAI, March 5, 2025 – Over 500 Anganwadi workers and helpers in Chennai staged a protest on Tuesday, demanding overdue promotions and the filling of numerous vacancies across Tamil Nadu. The protestors, members of the Tamil Nadu Anganwadi Employees and Helpers Association, highlighted the critical staffing shortages impacting the quality of care provided at the state’s 54,439 Anganwadi centers.
According to the association, promotions for workers who joined as early as 1993 are pending, creating a backlog that prevents career progression. The lack of staff, with 16,680 centers operating with only one worker, forces already overburdened teachers to juggle teaching, administrative tasks, and childcare responsibilities, including accompanying children to the toilet. This situation, they argue, compromises the safety and well-being of children, citing a recent case of sexual abuse at an Anganwadi center in Krishnagiri. The protestors also called for the elimination of the administrative burden of photographing mothers and children.
Following a meeting with the Commissioner of the Social Welfare Department, the association reported that a promotion list is expected within 15 days. However, the urgent need to fill vacant positions remains a critical concern for these essential workers.
First Piper 