This is a news about the functioning of ICDS in Padampur Subdivisionof Bargarh District in 2010,which was covered in the Pioneerin june2010.
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BHUBANESWAR | Sunday, June 13, 2010 | Email |
Print | | Back
Gross irregularities in child development scheme in Padampur
Pioneer News Service | Balangir
Gross irregularities in child development scheme in Padampur
Pioneer News Service | Balangir
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Despite being dubbed as the 'rice bowl' of western Odisha for huge
paddy productions due to adequate irrigation facilities and being one
of the most developed districts in the region with cement and sugar
factories, besides heavy trade and commerce, finding a large number of
malnourished children and mothers, as the food stuff meant for the
pregnant women and children reportedly never reaching them, reveals a
contradictory and shocking picture, thanks to the allegedly apathetic
and corrupt ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) officials in
Padampur sub-division of Bargarh district.
The startling revelation came to light at a public hearing organised by
the Lok Adhikar Sagathan Baragarh (LASB), Samuhik Marudi Pratikar Udyam
Padampur (SMPUP) and seven other community-based organisations of
Bargarh district at Padampur Town Hall on Friday.
The ICDS provides seven facilities, including supplementary nutrition,
immunisation, health check-up, referral services, non-formal pre-school
education, nutrition and health education, besides emergency feeding
and national maternity benefit to the women.
First launched in 1975 in Subdega block of Sundargarh district, it was
extended to 326 projects out of which 196 were in rural and 118 in the
tribal areas, 12 urban projects covering 41,697 Anganwadi centres
(AWCs) and 4,819 mini AWCs.
There are 1,733 Anganwadi centres in 12 blocks of Bargarh district with
1,05,837 children in the age group of 0-6, 6,885 women and 9,602
lactating women.
According to the petitions presented in the hearing, Sapura Bariha
received a total of four adda (a local weight/measurement almost
equivalent to 900 gram/even less in rural areas) of rice and maane dal
(pulses) during her entire pregnancy period even as a pregnant women is
entitled to get 4,750 grams of rice (4.75 kg) and 750 grams of pulses
per month.
Besides the less quantity of food being given to them, the quality is
also not good. "The quality of rice given to us is very poor and full
of block items," alleged Gandharpi Nayak, another aggrieved woman.
The Anganwadi worker are not coming regularly and only two kg of rice
has been given to her, she further alleged.
Besides this, there is hardly any referral of malnourished children to
hospital.
Even if the Government has given Rs 10,000 to the Gaon Kalyan Samiti,
yet hardly any referral is done and the malnourished children and
parents are having a harrowing time.
Moreover, there is provision for breakfast worth Rs 16.25 per month for
the lactating women, but no beneficiary is provided with this item in
the Angawanwadi centre.
The provision of vegetables is also not met properly.
A survey carried out by the SMPUP in four blocks Gaisellete, Padampur,
Jharbandh and Paikmal found massive bungling of the ICDS
material/foodstuff and it never reached the intended beneficiaries.
The Government has provisions for each child in the age group of six
months-3 years to provide 80 grams of rice at 45 paise, 30 grams of dal
at 2.25 paise, vegetable at 35 paise, tiffin at 90 paise, besides the
transportation cost of five paise per day to each child, totalling to
Rs 4 per day and Rs 1,200 annually.
However, according to the study, the ground reality presented a
different picture.
Against the allotted 4.75 kg of rice, a child is getting hardly 1.5 kg.
Similarly, against the entitled 750 grams of dal, the child is getting
250 grams and there is no sign of tiffin and vegetables.
Against the allocated Rs 1,200, Rs 262.56 is being spent for a child in
a year.
Similarly, even as the Government has made provisions for spending Rs
125 per month for the pregnant women and total of Rs 1,500 a year, in
reality, a pregnant woman is getting only Rs 52.95 per month and a
total of Rs 635.
All the irregularities calculated could go up to over Rs 2.85 crore,
pointed out Fakira Rout of the SMPUP.
Padampur CDPO Bidyutlata Das hoped that the ICDS would be streamlined
soon while Anganwadi worker Alka Panigrahi sought cooperation from all
mothers in the village rather than putting all the blame on Anganwadi
workers.
The six member jury comprising of academician Narayan Pruseth, social
activist Umi Daniel, Pradip Pradhan, advocate Ananda Panda, journalist
Bijya Dash, Hazaru Mallick and Mamata Bag pronounced their judgment for
appointment of an independent mechanism to monitor the functioning of
the ICDS in the district, besides expressing concern over the
exploitation of the people in weight and measurements.
An Anganwadi worker receives the food stuff in kilograms, but gives in
adda and maan (local weight measurement system) where there is enough
scope of cheating.
Accepting all the petitions presented during the public hearing, the
jury also recommended for a genuine inquiry into it.
The Government should provide weight and measurement equipments to each
Anganwadi centers to check exploitation.
All mothers should also assert their right in getting due amount, they
announced further.
The jury also stressed for better functioning of special nutrition
support to the malnourished children, special survey for the
malnourished children and proper functioning of Gaon Kalyan Samiti to
extend timely help to the distressed children.
Ironically, according to the latest Wellbeing Ranking analysis report
of the Government of India, six districts of Odisha, including Bargarh,
have been placed very low in the list of districts across the country.
The Government should provide separate grant for the area for the
development of the region, besides including the area in the Biju KBK
Yojana, pointed out Pruseth.
For proper implementation of the ICDS, a separate supervisory body
other than the existing mechanism must be formed, he opined further.
===================================
Despite being dubbed as the 'rice bowl' of western Odisha for huge
paddy productions due to adequate irrigation facilities and being one
of the most developed districts in the region with cement and sugar
factories, besides heavy trade and commerce, finding a large number of
malnourished children and mothers, as the food stuff meant for the
pregnant women and children reportedly never reaching them, reveals a
contradictory and shocking picture, thanks to the allegedly apathetic
and corrupt ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) officials in
Padampur sub-division of Bargarh district.
The startling revelation came to light at a public hearing organised by
the Lok Adhikar Sagathan Baragarh (LASB), Samuhik Marudi Pratikar Udyam
Padampur (SMPUP) and seven other community-based organisations of
Bargarh district at Padampur Town Hall on Friday.
The ICDS provides seven facilities, including supplementary nutrition,
immunisation, health check-up, referral services, non-formal pre-school
education, nutrition and health education, besides emergency feeding
and national maternity benefit to the women.
First launched in 1975 in Subdega block of Sundargarh district, it was
extended to 326 projects out of which 196 were in rural and 118 in the
tribal areas, 12 urban projects covering 41,697 Anganwadi centres
(AWCs) and 4,819 mini AWCs.
There are 1,733 Anganwadi centres in 12 blocks of Bargarh district with
1,05,837 children in the age group of 0-6, 6,885 women and 9,602
lactating women.
According to the petitions presented in the hearing, Sapura Bariha
received a total of four adda (a local weight/measurement almost
equivalent to 900 gram/even less in rural areas) of rice and maane dal
(pulses) during her entire pregnancy period even as a pregnant women is
entitled to get 4,750 grams of rice (4.75 kg) and 750 grams of pulses
per month.
Besides the less quantity of food being given to them, the quality is
also not good. "The quality of rice given to us is very poor and full
of block items," alleged Gandharpi Nayak, another aggrieved woman.
The Anganwadi worker are not coming regularly and only two kg of rice
has been given to her, she further alleged.
Besides this, there is hardly any referral of malnourished children to
hospital.
Even if the Government has given Rs 10,000 to the Gaon Kalyan Samiti,
yet hardly any referral is done and the malnourished children and
parents are having a harrowing time.
Moreover, there is provision for breakfast worth Rs 16.25 per month for
the lactating women, but no beneficiary is provided with this item in
the Angawanwadi centre.
The provision of vegetables is also not met properly.
A survey carried out by the SMPUP in four blocks Gaisellete, Padampur,
Jharbandh and Paikmal found massive bungling of the ICDS
material/foodstuff and it never reached the intended beneficiaries.
The Government has provisions for each child in the age group of six
months-3 years to provide 80 grams of rice at 45 paise, 30 grams of dal
at 2.25 paise, vegetable at 35 paise, tiffin at 90 paise, besides the
transportation cost of five paise per day to each child, totalling to
Rs 4 per day and Rs 1,200 annually.
However, according to the study, the ground reality presented a
different picture.
Against the allotted 4.75 kg of rice, a child is getting hardly 1.5 kg.
Similarly, against the entitled 750 grams of dal, the child is getting
250 grams and there is no sign of tiffin and vegetables.
Against the allocated Rs 1,200, Rs 262.56 is being spent for a child in
a year.
Similarly, even as the Government has made provisions for spending Rs
125 per month for the pregnant women and total of Rs 1,500 a year, in
reality, a pregnant woman is getting only Rs 52.95 per month and a
total of Rs 635.
All the irregularities calculated could go up to over Rs 2.85 crore,
pointed out Fakira Rout of the SMPUP.
Padampur CDPO Bidyutlata Das hoped that the ICDS would be streamlined
soon while Anganwadi worker Alka Panigrahi sought cooperation from all
mothers in the village rather than putting all the blame on Anganwadi
workers.
The six member jury comprising of academician Narayan Pruseth, social
activist Umi Daniel, Pradip Pradhan, advocate Ananda Panda, journalist
Bijya Dash, Hazaru Mallick and Mamata Bag pronounced their judgment for
appointment of an independent mechanism to monitor the functioning of
the ICDS in the district, besides expressing concern over the
exploitation of the people in weight and measurements.
An Anganwadi worker receives the food stuff in kilograms, but gives in
adda and maan (local weight measurement system) where there is enough
scope of cheating.
Accepting all the petitions presented during the public hearing, the
jury also recommended for a genuine inquiry into it.
The Government should provide weight and measurement equipments to each
Anganwadi centers to check exploitation.
All mothers should also assert their right in getting due amount, they
announced further.
The jury also stressed for better functioning of special nutrition
support to the malnourished children, special survey for the
malnourished children and proper functioning of Gaon Kalyan Samiti to
extend timely help to the distressed children.
Ironically, according to the latest Wellbeing Ranking analysis report
of the Government of India, six districts of Odisha, including Bargarh,
have been placed very low in the list of districts across the country.
The Government should provide separate grant for the area for the
development of the region, besides including the area in the Biju KBK
Yojana, pointed out Pruseth.
For proper implementation of the ICDS, a separate supervisory body
other than the existing mechanism must be formed, he opined further.
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