In a letter to the Prime Minister, party politburo member Sitaram Yechury said this amount should include Rs 2,500 crore “exclusively for improving the conditions of the Anganwadi employees and for providing them pension and other social security benefits.”

The CPI(M) leader in his letter reminded the Prime Minister that his intervention was sought on the “burning issues” concerning the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme and the Anganwadi workers and helpers working in it, when he met him on August 3, 2006.

“Informing that the Government is committed to expand ICDS, you have assured that the remuneration of the Anganwadi workers and helpers would be enhanced and the demand for ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh for the Anganwadi workers and Rs 50,000 for the helpers who were being removed from service in the name of retirement would be favourably considered”, Yechury wrote in his letter. He pointed out that the “universalisation of ICDS” is a commitment made in the National Common Minimum Programme.

He alleged that the recommendations of a “review committee” which was constituted to look into the issue has not been made public besides the Government not “taking action” on the assurances by the Prime Minister.

“Despite achieving a steady growth of 8 to 9 %, India continues to be in the unenviable position of 128 in the Human Development Index, because of its high infant mortality rate, child mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, illiteracy rate etc, among others.”

"In spite of this alarming situation, the Government has failed to make the necessary financial allocation to ICDS, which has been addressing these issues, in the last budgets", Yechury said.