The government of Uttarakhand has made an important move for Anganwadi workers in the state, where the quota of promotion will be increased to 50 per cent. The move was adopted at a recent Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and is a significant move in enhancing the career and professional standing of thousands of women deployed in rural child welfare and nutrition initiatives.
As a result of the promotion quota increment, half of the supervisor posts in the Women and Child Development Department shall now be tied to promotion among the existing Anganwadi workers and helpers. In the past, internal promotions filled only one-third of these positions, with the rest of the posts recruited externally. It is assumed that the new policy will offer more chances to the long-serving Anganwadi employees to promote their careers, receive better payments, and be more appreciated for their work at the grassroots, which is expected to be the most significant advantage of the new policy.
This resolution follows years of pressure by Anganwadi worker associations and unions that have been calling for increased career mobility and improvement in benefits. Most employees have been working on small honoraria over the years with little possibility of promotion. The state government is expected to reward their effort and commitment by raising the promotion quota, especially in far and inaccessible locations in Uttarakhand, where Anganwadi centres are operating in a vital role in child health, nutrition, and early education.
The move has been received with pleasure by the officials of the Women and Child Development Department, as they indicated that it would not only elevate the morale of frontline workers, but it would also enhance the implementation of government schemes at the village level. Empowering the Anganwadi employees with improved career opportunities is considered one of the measures to improve the efficiency of the services and ensure that the children and mothers receive high-quality support programs.
Chief Minister Dhami stated that the policy change was a way of showing gratitude to the work of the Anganwadi workers who have worked tirelessly to make sure that more children receive child welfare programs in the state. The government is determined to provide an environment where the effort of these women is appreciated and their career development is guaranteed.
The move has been widely applauded by the worker groups, social organizations and the community leaders, who have termed it as a long-awaited and progressive move. The government of Uttarakhand has made a bold move by increasing the percentage of women who have to be promoted to 50 per cent, which will enable women workers to get a just promotion and career growth, as well as enhance the child welfare system of the state.
