Anganwadi workers submitted a memorandum to Ludhiana North MLA Madan Lal Bagga on Wednesday, urging the state government to ensure chief minister Bhagwant Mann attends their scheduled October 26 meeting to take concrete decisions on key demands, including wage hikes, gratuity benefits, and promotions.

The union said the meeting was fixed following their protest on October 2. To press for these long-standing issues, the union has launched a statewide campaign to approach local legislators between October 12 and 18, seeking government intervention.

The union has sought a substantial increase in the honorarium paid to anganwadi workers and helpers. It has also demanded immediate implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision on gratuity benefits for them. Additionally, the union has called for promotions of eligible anganwadi workers to supervisor posts to be expedited, along with an increase in annual increments and the implementation of a 5 lakh insurance scheme for all anganwadi employees.

District union president Subhash Rani said,”Anganwadi workers and helpers played a vital role in child care, nutrition, pre-primary education, and the welfare of women and children, yet their demands remained unresolved despite their contributions to essential public services.”

Union member Anju Mehta added that workers decided to approach elected representatives to enlist their support in taking up the matter with the state administration. The union warned that the agitation would be intensified if the chief minister failed to attend the meeting or if authorities did not take meaningful steps to resolve the demands.

Describing the October 2 protest as the start of their campaign, union leaders said further action would follow if their grievances continued to be ignored.

Bagga said he would forward the concerns to the chief minister and discuss the workers’ demands with Punjab social security, women and child development minister Baljit Kaur to seek a resolution.