The Right to Food Campaign, a State-level forum of civil society groups undertaking a campaign for effective implementation of food security programmes, alleged that many beneficiaries in the State under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) had been deprived of Government benefits. Attributing it to various causes, including non-functioning of Anganwadi centres, the forum demanded immediate Government intervention.
Submitting a memorandum to the Women and Child Development (WCD) Secretary on October 9 last, forum’s State convenor Pradip Pradhan stated that five citizen monitoring groups had visited some Agnawadi centres to monitor, assess and supervise implementation of ICDS programme in Nimapara block on September 18 last and found that everything was not well. The teams visited eight Anganwadi centres (AWC) and interacted with Anganwadi helpers.
“In many cases, we talked to the Anganwadi helpers as the Anganwadi workers were not available. We witnessed that many centres like Bhiligram Harijan Sahi, Jainabad Harijan Sahi, Nakadiha, Nahantara and Gopalpur did not have their own building. As a result, the children were forced to sit in open place in a very unhygienic and unacceptable atmosphere,” the memorandum stated.
The memorandum further stated that while the members of Jaanch Committee and Mothers’ Committee were not aware of their roles and responsibilities, their meeting was hardly held. But a meeting register was maintained.
“There was no monitoring of AWC by the officials while attendance registers were not being checked by concerned higher authorities. Similarly, very less number of children attended the centres against the actual enrolment while only noon food was served to them. Helpers had not received their honourarium for the last six months,” the memorandum added.
In many cases, women beneficiaries had not received money under the Mamata Yojana. There were a few who had not received payment even after nine months of their child birth.
“We urged the Government to take up the issues seriously and conduct an inquiry,” said Prahdan.