All Manipur ICDS Employees’ Union on Tuesday staged a sit-in on the premises of the Social Welfare Department, Chingmeirong, Imphal.
TFM Report
All Manipur ICDS Employees’ Union on Tuesday staged a sit-in on the premises of the Social Welfare Department, Chingmeirong, Imphal, demanding to bifurcate the ‘umbrella ICDS’ from the Social Welfare Directorate and other demands.
The other demands the union is demanding included — filling up the post of deputy director from amongst ICDS functionaries exclusively; convert CDPO posts to promotion basis only; appointment of 16 DPOs in all 16 districts; timely release of pay/ or honorarium or funds; expansion (bifurcation/trifurcation) of larger ICDS projects; streamline promotion hierarchy and RR (Recruitment Rules); one official to hold only one post, and timely promotion and appointment of ministerial staff.
General secretary of the union Sinam Tampha said that although the staff of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) have been working tirelessly, problems arise when it comes to promotion.
She also said that the demands have been raised to the state government for a long time. September 30 was set as the deadline to fulfill the demand. Accordingly the sit-in has been staged on Tuesday to register their demands. If the authorities do not listen to the woes of the employees, future course of agitations will ensue, she added.
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is a cent per cent centrally sponsored scheme, according to the official website of the Social Welfare Department.
The scheme is being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare as the nodal department. Now, the scheme is expanding throughout the State with 34 projects covering 9 C.D. Blocks, 24 T.D. Blocks and 1 Urban. 4501 Anganwadi Centres are also actively functioning under these projects.
“It is one of the most ambitious and comprehensive survival and child development schemes for enhancing the health, nutrition and learning opportunities for pre-school children and their mothers by simultaneously providing all the requisite services at the village level. The significant factor is that the deprived and underprivileged children are the target groups of this scheme”.ICDS care for children below six years of age. It also takes care of essential needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers residing in socially backward villages and urban slums.