Anganwadi workers should get smartphones with POSHAN tracker app in 3 months: Bombay HC

“There are areas like Gadchiroli. Some of our judicial officers sit with even tigers in their court there” a judge remarked in lighter vein.

A division bench of Justice Gautam S Patel and Justice Neela K Gokhale was hearing a plea filed by the Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana and other organisations representing over one lakh Anganwadi workers and over 10,000 mini Anganwadi workers – argued through senior advocate Gayatri Singh and advocate Meenaz Kakalia.

On Friday, the state informed the bench that it would distribute handsets through vendors, to which the court was not convinced stating that it would be difficult to reach remote regions due to lack of direct modes of transport.

After Additional Government Pleader A A Purav told the bench that process of procurement of replacement of phones has commenced and there is a tender document of June 22 and the bids will be opened on July 13, the court said that procuring, sampling, and distribution of handsets should not be stopped due to lack of funds.

“We are not concerned how the Central and state governments arrange financial affairs of 60-40% funding. We urge the Centre to attend the matter at maximum possible priority. The process will not be stopped for non-receipt of funds from the Centre. The State will proceed.” the court said.

The bench clarified that the state will be allowed to reimburse up to 60 per cent of funds in case it infuses the same on behalf of the centre

“The handsets are required for the ultimate beneficiary which is the mother, children. This is the only way financial support can be made available to beneficiaries. That is the primary objective and procedural requirements will not be a hindrance” the bench said and posted further hearing to October 18.

The HC had last July directed the Union government to take immediate steps to ensure the app also supports regional languages.

In April, this year, the bench pulled up the state government for its “Kafkaesque” approach in regard to over one lakh workers, who were unable to enter beneficiary data on the Centre’s POSHAN tracker app, as the cell phones provided by the state are outdated. The government had taken action against such anganwadi workers for not feeding the data on the app.

The court had said there was no logic in the state’s move and imposed a stay on the showcause notices being issued to anganwadi workers.

Thereafter, the state submitted a proposed schedule for purchase and distribution of smart phones.