Tamil Nadu anganwadi workers stage sit-in protest; Minister warns of disciplinary action

Anganwadi workers and assistants stage a protest in front of the Thoothukudi Collectorate on Friday
| Photo Credit: N. Rajesh

The distribution of supplementary nutrition to children was disrupted in parts of the State on Friday (May 2, 2025) as members of the Tamil Nadu Anganwadi Workers and Assistants Association staged sit-in protests. Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Minister P. Geetha Jeevan warned that strong legal and disciplinary action would be taken against them.

The association staged the protest, demanding a vacation for the whole month of May, without any warning, the Minister said, adding: “The functions of centres in some locations are being affected. The act of boycotting work that distributes supplementary nutrition to children, including lunch and eggs, is quite regrettable.”

Pointing out that the State government has been fulfilling their various demands, including promotions, transfer, and filling up of vacancies, among others, the Minister said: “The anganwadi workers and assistants, who have been taking part in the protests and acting against the interests of children, would be subjected to disciplinary action.” Details of the centres where functions were hit were being collected, she added.

As per a G.O. issued last month, the Minister pointed out that a vacation was announced for the workers for 15 days, between May 11 and 25, in view of the prevailing weather conditions. “It is an illegal act to stage a protest, even after the government announced a vacation,” she contended.

The National Food Security Act, 2013, mandates the provision of supplementary nutrition to children for a minimum of 300 days in a year, and the government has ensured this, the Minister recalled. However, she pointed out that in response to the workers’ demands, the government has been declaring a summer vacation since May 2022, for the past three years. To meet the mandate, supplementary nutrition has been provided to beneficiaries in the form of ‘Take Home Ration’, she added.