A four-member fact-finding team of the Right to Food Campaign, Odisha, which visited seven Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) in three blocks in Puri district, has alleged that the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is completely in mess in these areas.
Submitting a report to the Women and Child Development Department, the team said it visited the AWCs and many villages in Satyabadi, Gop and Nimapara blocks and found that beneficiaries are deprived of their legitimate right to access to food while there is no morning breakfast and snacks in any of the centres.
“Though there is provision of two packets of Chhatua and eight eggs for lactating and pregnant woman and children under Take Home Ration (THR) as per ICDS guideline, it was found that only one packet of Chhatua and two eggs are supplied to the beneficiaries per month,” said the report.
The report further stated that no AWCs have their own building while the food is being prepared in unsafe houses or under open sky. It further stated that the Jaannch Committee and Mothers’ Committee have already lying defunct with CDPOs not visiting the centres regularly.
Notably, a four-member fact-finding team comprising Dibakar Nayak, Baman Charan Pradhan, Prasant Kumar Sahoo and Chandrakanta had visited Khariza Sahi AWC in Mohara gram panchayat, Rawatsahi AWC in Ketakipatna GP of Satyabadi block, Nuakholamara and Gabadiha AWCs in Nuakholamara GP, Oratanda AWC under Nuakholamara GP in Gop block and Odhuala in Salanga GP and Arisandha AWC in Nimapara block.