Poll duty not mandatory for workers: EC

Mumbai: The Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the Bombay high court that there was no compulsion of election duty on anganwadi workers. Hence, no action would be taken against them if they did not attend election duty.

The Election Commission of India told the court that around 3,700 anganwadi workers of Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan had been trained for election duty and would be paid `250 per day and provided lunch.

The ECI told the court that the voting date wasn’t far away and it was impossible for the ECI to train new people in such a short time.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Makrand Karnik was hearing a petition filed by Sangita Chachale and Chetana survey office-bearers of the Maharashtra State Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana, opposing election duty.

The petitioners argued that the duty of anganwadi workers was service to the poor and malnourished children. They had the responsibility of providing them food and education. According to the central government’s notification, they were already doing many works so they should not be assigned more duties like election duties.

Precisely, the February 2019 rules and regulations of the ECI also stated that anganwadi workers should not be assigned election duties. Despite that, they had been assigned election duties.

On Wednesday, the ECI expressed its helplessness to the court that training had already been given and assured the court that anganwadi sevikas would not be assigned much work but at this moment, if they refused to work, the election would have to be extended.

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