In Mysuru, Karnataka, anganwadi workers are facing additional responsibilities, including verifying Gruha Lakshmi (Home Lakshmi) beneficiaries and serving as booth-level officers for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), on top of their existing duties. Earning a monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 and working seven hours a day from 9am, anganwadi workers are now tasked with verifying the living status of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries as part of an ongoing review, with the goal of removing deceased women from the database. According to K Somashekar Yadgir, state president of the Karnataka State United Anganwadi Workers Association, in a few districts, anganwadi workers are being asked to submit the status of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries. An officer from the Women and Child Development Department confirmed that, along with anganwadi workers, supervisors are also being used to verify beneficiary status.
M Umadevi, the association’s secretary, stated that workers are now also being asked to join the SIR, which is taking place during the peak admissions period in anganwadis. Umadevi expressed concerns that their primary responsibilities, such as caring for children, newborns, lactating mothers, and pregnant women, are being disrupted due to the additional duties. When workers cite that their work is being disrupted, they are being asked to work after anganwadi hours, sometimes till late in the evening, which can be challenging for women in villages. Officials from the department stated that the decisions were made by senior officials in accordance with Election Commission directions, and that only the government can intervene to help these workers, as per the rule that anganwadi workers cannot be hired for non-Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS)-related works.