Mangaluru: Anganwadi workers in Dakshina Kannada are facing an additional financial burden as they are being forced to meet the gap between the government-sanctioned price of eggs and prevailing market rates for eggs supplied to pregnant and lactating women and children.

The Women and Child Development Department currently provides about Rs 6 per egg to Anganwadi workers, while market prices have recently ranged between Rs 7 and Rs 7.90, according to workers and egg suppliers. With the government allocation remaining unchanged, workers said they have been paying the difference from their own pockets to ensure beneficiaries receive their full quota.

Workers have also raised concerns over delays in the payment of their salaries, saying that payments are sometimes received once in two or three months. They said the combination of increased procurement costs, delayed salaries and additional departmental duties has made it increasingly difficult to manage household expenses.

Workers seek revision of egg allocation

Tara Ballal, president of the Dakshina Kannada District Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association, said the issue of the difference between the sanctioned egg price and market rates had continued for the past four to five years.

She said the problem was not restricted to Dakshina Kannada and that Anganwadi workers in other areas were also facing similar difficulties.

“We are paying from our own pockets and there is no reimbursement,” Ballal said.

She said the workers had raised the matter in a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar during his visit to Mangaluru on Friday. The association sought a revision of the amount allocated for eggs so that it reflects prevailing market prices.

According to workers, eggs form an important component of supplementary nutrition provided through Anganwadi centres. They said they continue to provide the prescribed quantity to beneficiaries despite fluctuations in procurement costs.

Ballal also pointed to delays in salary payments, saying the situation had affected workers’ ability to meet household expenses. In addition to their regular responsibilities, Anganwadi workers are also being assigned other duties, including work connected with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Workers continue to provide 25 eggs

Sheela, president of the Mangaluru City Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association, said salary delays had added to the difficulties faced by workers.

She said payments were at times being made once in two or three months, while workers continued to procure and distribute the required quantity of eggs.

“Workers provide the full quota of 25 eggs despite the higher cost,” she said.

The workers said they cannot reduce the quantity supplied to beneficiaries merely because market prices have increased. As a result, they have to either absorb the difference themselves or depend on credit arrangements with suppliers.

With thousands of beneficiaries covered through Anganwadi centres, even a difference of Re 1 or more per egg can become a significant amount when procurement is carried out regularly.

Department seeks higher allocation

An official from the Women and Child Development Department acknowledged that the sanctioned rate currently stands at Rs 6 per egg.

The official said fluctuations in market prices had created difficulties whenever the prevailing rate moved above the government-approved amount.

“We have sent a proposal to our seniors in Bengaluru, and have sought an increase in the amount,” the official said.

The official explained that eggs are procured by the Anganwadi workers, with funds released in advance to the Bal Vikas Samiti account based on the number of beneficiaries attached to each centre.

Workers are required to maintain bills for the purchases, which are subsequently checked as part of supervisory audits.

The official said the amount is calculated at the fixed rate of Rs 6 per egg and workers draw the required money from the committee’s account for procurement. When market prices decline, the difference is adjusted accordingly, the official added.

However, workers said that when market prices remain consistently above the sanctioned rate, the procurement process places additional financial pressure on them.

Salary payments delayed

The department official attributed the delay in salaries to the time required to obtain permission from the Finance Department.

According to the official, salary payments up to July have been cleared, while payments for August were pending and were expected to be released soon.

Workers, however, said irregular salary payments were making it difficult for them to meet their monthly household expenses.

The issue assumes significance as Anganwadi workers form the frontline workforce implementing several nutrition and child-development programmes at the grassroots level. Apart from providing supplementary nutrition, they undertake responsibilities related to women and children and are periodically assigned additional government duties.

Workers said timely payment of salaries and adequate reimbursement for procurement were necessary to ensure that they could carry out their responsibilities without having to bear operational costs personally.

Around 2,131 Anganwadis in DK

There are around 2,131 Anganwadi centres in Dakshina Kannada district.

The centres cater to children as well as pregnant and lactating women under various nutrition and child welfare programmes. The egg distribution programme requires regular procurement, making the price difference particularly relevant when market rates rise.

Workers said the government allocation needs to be reviewed periodically rather than remaining fixed for several years despite changes in market conditions.

They have therefore sought an increase in the sanctioned amount per egg and a mechanism through which procurement costs can be adjusted when prices rise sharply.

Egg suppliers also face rising costs

Alwyn Pinto, president of the Dakshina Kannada Kannada Egg Suppliers Association, said suppliers were also facing increased costs.

According to Pinto, manufacturing, diesel and transportation expenses had risen, adding to the overall cost of supplying eggs.

He said suppliers often extend credit to Anganwadi workers. Workers procure the eggs first and make payments later after funds are released, as many workers cannot afford to bear the entire procurement cost upfront.

The credit arrangement, he said, has become necessary for maintaining uninterrupted supplies despite delays in the release of funds.

The situation has therefore created a chain of financial pressure involving workers and suppliers, with both groups affected when government allocations do not keep pace with market prices or when payments are delayed.

Workers await government action

Anganwadi workers have urged the department to revise the egg procurement allocation based on current market conditions and ensure timely release of their salaries.

They said maintaining the full nutrition quota for beneficiaries should not require workers to spend their personal income, particularly when they are already facing delays in receiving their salaries.

The department, meanwhile, has confirmed that a proposal seeking an increase in the sanctioned egg rate has been sent to senior officials in Bengaluru.

With around 2,131 Anganwadi centres operating across Dakshina Kannada, workers and suppliers are now awaiting a decision on the proposed revision and the pending salary payments. A revision linked more closely to prevailing market prices, along with timely release of funds and salaries, could address the financial concerns raised by the workers while ensuring uninterrupted supply of eggs to beneficiaries.