Minister for Social Welfare, Education, Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo today said that Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Helpers are the backbone of grassroots child welfare and community development, adding that their role extends far beyond service delivery.
The Minister was speaking at the concluding ceremony of 8th Poshan Pakhwada celebrations held at Government Polytechnic College, Jammu. Mission Director ICDS, Sajad Hussain Ganie; Secretary in Social Welfare department, Bashir Ahmad Khan; Director Social Welfare Jammu, Ranjeet Singh; Director Health Services Jammu, Dr. Abdul Hamid Zargar; Programme officers, CDPOs, Supervisors and large number of Anganwadi workers and Helpers were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister appreciated the dedication and tireless efforts of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, describing them as the backbone of grassroots child welfare and nutrition services. She said that their role extends far beyond service delivery, as they serve as the first point of contact for mothers, children and families in rural as well as urban areas.
“Anganwadi Workers are the real change-makers at the grassroots. Their commitment towards early childhood care, nutrition, pre-school education and child welfare is laying the foundation for a healthier and empowered future generation,” the Minister stated.
She highlighted that ICDS sector is very big sector and more than 28,000 of our sisters work in this sector. “As far as the ICDS or social welfare sector is concerned, some other departments are connected to this sector like education, health and others.
Our Anganwadi workers and Helpers perform duties in these departments during awareness programmes or other events, apart from their parent department”, she said. The Minister stressed the need for collective efforts from all stakeholders, including families, communities, and government departments, to ensure that every child receives proper nutrition and every mother has access to essential healthcare and support.
She underscored the importance of Poshan Pakhwada as a people-centric initiative focusing on combating malnutrition, improving health outcomes for women and children, and creating awareness about balanced nutrition and early childhood care.
Giving background of ICDS sector, Sakeena Itoo said that in the year 1996, the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah brought this project into Jammu and Kashmir and implemented it. Sakeena Itoo stressed the importance of integrating hygiene awareness with child development initiatives and urged field functionaries to continue educating families about sanitation, nutrition and preventive healthcare.
She noted that a clean environment plays a significant role in reducing disease burden and improving the quality of life for children and women. Highlighting various achievements of the Government, the Minister said that the Government led by Omar Abdullah increased the Marriage Assistance from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 75,000, besides the qualification bar for availing the scheme has been removed.
The Minister also underlined the government’s commitment towards strengthening the Anganwadi ecosystem by improving infrastructure, ensuring better service delivery and providing necessary support to frontline workers. She assured that the concerns and welfare of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers remain a priority for the government, adding that Chief Minister is very keen about their welfare.
The Minister also announced that the department has already been asked to make a policy regarding appointment of dependents of Anganwadi workers and Helpers who die while in service. In his welcome address, Mission Director ICDS spoke about the large scale of activities carried during the Poshan Pakhwada.
He informed that around 7,32,000 events were held and uploaded on Jan Andolan portal by the department. He also expressed gratitude to Minister for increasing the Capex Budget of the department, adding that new Anganwadi centres will made functional.
Earlier, the Social Welfare Minister also distributed appointment orders among newly recruited Anganwadi Workers and Helpers. She also distributed Vidyarambh certificates among children who completed pre-schooling at Anganwadi centers. During the programme, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers also presented different cultural programmes highlighting importance of nutrition in children and mothers.