The Delhi Government is going to inspect 1,600 anganwadi centres on Saturday. The Government has deployed 800 officers for the event, said Deputy Chief Minsiter Manish Sisodia at a Press conference on Tuesday. The move comes a week after Sisodia paid surprise visit to some anganwadis and found discrepancies following which he suspended several anganwadi workers.
“I have been visiting anganwadi from past few weeks and yesterday also I went to anganwadi. I found there is insensitive attitude problem at several places with regards to children and women. I have said that our Government is spending Rs400 to Rs500 crores on children and if this public money is being spent on the children with insensitivity, I will not tolerate it. I am starting an intense campaign with senior and junior IAS officers, DANICS (Delhi Andaman Nicobar Service) officers, ad-hoc DANIC officers, I have ordered all of them that this Saturday they would be sent to at least two anganwadi centres for inspection,” said Sisodia.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described the move as a “huge exercise” to overhaul the anganwadi system in the city. Sisodia said he had written to Chief Secretary MM Kutty, directing him to ensure that every officer inspected at least two anganwadi centres each. Earlier this month, Sisodia had ordered to terminate the services of six officials of three anganwadi centres in east Delhi after he found “gross irregularities” during an inspection. “There are around 800 IAS, DANICS and ad-hoc DANICS officers in the Delhi Government. All of them will inspect the 1,600 anganwadi centres on Saturday. “They will visit the houses of every child and pregnant woman, registered with the anganwadi centres, to check the records and submit their reports to the Government,” said the Deputy Chief Minister.
He said the decision was taken in the wake of “irregularities” found at some of these centres. During his inspection on June 4, Sisodia had found that fake attendance records of children were being maintained at three anganwadi centres. He had appealed to the public to come forward and report any such irregularity at the anganwadi centres to the Government.