ICDS Supervisors in UP Demand Pay Parity With Same-Grade Staff of Other Departments

Lucknow: Scores of Mukhya Sevikas (supervisors) employed under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) across Uttar Pradesh (UP) are protesting against the Centre and the state government in Lucknow since Monday for not fulfilling their long-pending demands of pay parity with the staff of other departments like the Secretariat and the delay in promotions.

Holding placards that read, “Enough is enough,” the supervisors, from various districts under the banner of the ICDS Supervisor Association Uttar Pradesh, gathered at ICDS office and raised slogans to demand timely promotions and other benefits.

“The salary of employees equivalent to the supervisor grade at Food and Civil Supplies Department, Secretariat and Social Welfare Department is Rs 4,200-Rs 4,800, but the Mukhya Sevikas under the ICDS are only paid Rs 2,800,” Renu Shukla, president of the Association, told Newsclick. 

The child development project officers (CDPO) have not been promoted for the last 12 years despite vacancies, Shukla said adding that the employees haven’t even received the benefit of assured career progression (ACP) for almost five years. 

“According to the rules, 50% of the posts are filled through direct recruitment and the remaining via promotions like Anganwadi workers, who are promoted to the rank of supervisors. A supervisor is promoted to the post of child development project officer and is later appointed as a district programme officer. Out of the 897 posts of CDPO in the state, around 437 are vacant due to no promotions in the last 12 years. As per the rules, employees must be promoted every year,” said Shukla.

On ACP, supervisor Shashi Kant said that the ACP committee, as per the rules, should meet twice a year but “no such meeting has been convened in Uttar Pradesh since the last five years”. “The first ACP is applied after completion of 10 years of service, the second applied after 16 years and third after 26 years. But in Uttar Pradesh, hundreds of Mukhya Sevikas retired after completing 26 years without the benefit of ACP. Most of us are paid Rs 2,800 despite working for more than 10-15 years,” Kant added. 

Due to rising inflation, the prices of essential commodities and services has gone through the roof and the honorarium paid by the government is quite low, the Association said demanding pension for all the retirees. Despite the national importance of the ICDS in helping early childhood development and eradication of malnutrition, the plight of the supervisors has been ignored by the state government, the protesters said.