Incomplete provision renders ICDS impotent
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 24 2011:
Incomplete provision of rice and other items being given to Anganwadi centres under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), has rendered whatever items being provided useless.
In addition to rice, Social Welfare Department has been providing dal varieties of Mussori, Mairongbi, ground nut as well as cooking oil on monthly basis.
A random survey conducted by The Sangai Express some distance away from Imphal found that many Anganwadi centres, apart from rice, did not get other materials needed to serve cooked food to children for the month of May.
Most of these centres were provided only rice by mid-May.
But other items like dal varieties and cooking oil were not provided though all the centres have healthy strength of children.
In these centres where there are healthy strength of children, the quantity of rice and dal provided by Social Welfare Department is not sufficient, said some Anganwadi Helpers and Workers.
Rice given in the month of May has not been consumed yet because of the instruction that rice cannot be consumed as long as other dish items are not provided, they conveyed.
In such circumstances, there were instances when children were not given food for two/three months.
In separate meetings with The Sangai Express, some Supervisors of Social Welfare Department said that high officials often said that there were few children in Anganwadi Centres and that most of the centres listed non-existent and extra children.
Even if Anganwadi Centres in urban areas have few children, many centres in rural areas have healthy strength of children and these centres have been working sincerely, claimed the Helpers and Workers.
Though there are complaints that the monthly ration being provided to Anganwadi centres is not sufficient, the department has been providing whatever quantity is sanctioned by higher officials, the Supervisors said.
However, Social Welfare Director Seityabati maintained that the quantity of food items being provided to Anganwadi centres is enough to feed the children enrolled at the centres.
"There is no question of monthly allotment.
Anganwadi centres are given their share whenever the need arised", Seityabati stated.