Patna, Feb. 11: Social welfare minister Parveen Amanullah today issued show cause notices to sahayikas and sevikas of 10 anganwadi centres in the capital, apart from the child development project officer (CDPO) of Patna Sadar II, under whose supervision these centres function.
The minister took the action following a surprise inspection of these centres.
Amanullah told The Telegraph that none of the centres were functioning properly.
“While six centres were found closed, four had few children and very little food was being cooked and served. It was obvious that funds earmarked for these centres are not reaching the units. Besides, whatever funds reach are not being spent in the specified manner,” she said.
Amanullah added: “The raids and the findings have exposed corruption and irregularities in these centres. We are doing our bid to improve things and those found indulging in such practices will not be spared.”
According to sources, 80,997 anganwadi centres in the state get over Rs 88.28 crore every month at the rate of Rs 10,975 per centre.
The state has 544 CDPOs and 38 district project officers under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of the Union government.
“It is not possible for me to be physically present at all the centres in the state. Through random inspections like these, we want to send a signal to CDPOs and anganwadi workers to take their jobs seriously. In today’s case, we will take strict action against the CDPO,” she said.
According to officials, the ICDS programme aims at improving the health of children in the age group of 0-6, reducing incidences of child mortality and school dropout and enhancing capability of mothers to look after normal health, primary education and nutritional requirements of their children.
It is a central government scheme with the state contributing 50 per cent towards supplementary nutrition cost.
Presently, each anganwadi centre caters to needs of about 100 persons who are selected on the basis of their nutritional and financial status.
Sources added the centres in the state, however, have always been notorious, as dens of corruption and CDPOs have often been accused of embezzling funds meant to be distributed at anganwadi kendras.
