Asha workers gheraoed the office of the DPM (District Project Manger-NRHM) and CDMO, Ganjam, here on Tuesday demanding action against the managing director of local NGO CARD Suresh Kumar Sahu for his alleged rude behavior towards them while they were undergoing NRHM (National Rural Health Mission)-sponsored training at CARD.
Mention may be made that the NRHM-sponsored training was intended for the Asha workers to learn on the ‘home-based newborn care’ (HBNBC) programme. A total of 24 Asha workers from Ganjam block were undergoing training for five days at CARD situated at luchapada on the outskirts of the city.
The Asha workers also alleged that during their training, the NGO had not provided them proper and hygienic food and there was no provision for drinking water for the trainees and trainers.
Even the accommodation given to the trainees and trainers were not sufficient.
The NRHM had sanctioned more than Rs 80,000 towards accommodation, seminar kit, food and other expenses for the five days of the programme. However, the major chunk of the amount was reportedly kept unspent for vested interests of the NGO, the Asha workers alleged.
When two of the DlT trainers, Dr Sucheta Mohanty and Sarat Kumar Singh, objected about the mismanagement of the training programme and misappropriation of fund, they were threatened by the MD of the NGO of dire consequences, alleged Singh.
Since last 20 years, this NGO has not been spending the money on such Government training programmes according to the approved yardsticks, said an insider who did not wish to be identified.