'Govt Has No Data on Anganwadi Workers Who Died Due to COVID-19': Smriti Irani

Anganwadi workers were at the forefront of dealing with the pandemic during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The government informed Parliament on Friday, 22 July, that no data was available on the number of anganwadi workers who had died due to COVID-19.

Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said while replying to a question in Lok Sabha said the Anganwadi Services was a scheme implemented by the states and Union Territories, and not the Union government.

"As Anganwadi Services is a scheme implemented by states/UTs, the data on number of anganwadi workers who have died due to coronavirus is not available with this ministry," Irani said in her written reply.

However, she added that anganwadi workers and helpers, who had been put into action amid the COVID-19 pandemic and were in constant contact with patients suffering from the disease, had been included under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP).

She said that under the insurance scheme, workers and helpers will have a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh, subject to some conditions.

Anganwadi workers were at the forefront of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. They were tasked with providing ration and essential commodities to children and pregnant/lactating women during the nationwide lockdown imposed in March 2020.

Anganwadi workers, along with Accredited Social Health Activists, also played a crucial role in providing supplementary healthcare services across the country during the lockdown period.

Risking their lives, these contractual women workers continued to work – delivering ration, screening for suspected COVID patients, keeping a registry of those who were showing symptoms. The pandemic also changed the nature of their work – with their work expected to be updated online.