Lack of effective supervision derailing objectives of Anganwadis

Parigi: In the absence of supervisors, the services of Women and Child Welfare department could not be implemented effectively at the ground level. Services like teaching tiny tots using song and dance, making them accustomed to school environment, improving their nutritional status and also that of mothers – expecting as well as lactating - are deficient causing inconvenience to the poor.

However, efforts of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) officials to inject some degree of transparency in the implementation of the services are delivering results to an extent. However, the state government is not keen to fill vacancies in Anganwadi centers for effective implementation of the schemes. Not filling the vacancies and absence of supervisors is paralyzing the activities of the Anganwadi centers. To implement activities under the ICDS, supervision is necessary. There were allegations of not even one inspection is taking place on reviewing the activities.

The centers, which form the foundation to build a healthy society, are languishing in administrative problems. Distribution of nutritious food has almost become derailed. In 1100 Anganwadi centers of Vikarabad district, there are no play equipment in Anganwadis of four assembly constituencies. There is acute shortage of staff in aiding and advising pregnant women. There are over 4230 pre-school students and 2640 expectant and lactating mothers in Anganwadi centers at Parigi, Kulkacharla and Doma mandals. But the staff strength is not enough to cater to the nutritional needs and to implement other activities of Anganwadi centers.

The experts express concert over deaths due to nutritional deficiency, but there is no one to arrest the trend, parents allege. The Balamrutam packets – nutritional supplements – supplied to Anganwadi centers by the state government are being diverted to other purposes on account of lack of awareness among parents. There are 213 Anganwadi centers in nine sectors of the three mandals. Each mandal should have at least three supervisors. The posts remained vacant for a long time.

Currently, there is only one supervisor working in each mandal. That too, one of them proceeded on a long leave. The Anganwadi centers are supplied eggs worth Rs 35 lakh. Funds are being pocketed by vested interests with the jugglery of numbers. Each center should cater to the nutritional needs of at least 30 pe-school students. Barring at some places, their strength is less than the prescribed number of students. At least 200 pre-school students are suffering from malnutrition in the Assembly constituency. Mothers are encountering several health problems on account of anaemia.

Under Arogya Lakshmi scheme, the mothers are being fed one square meal a day. But the criticism is that the meal is free from nutritional values. The distribution of milk among the mothers has been stalled for reasons best know to the administration. Several have been urging the state government to inject more nutritional value into the lunch being provided to the mothers.