File picture of an anganwadi centre

Cuttack, Aug. 14: Orissa High Court has set a 10-day deadline for the state government to submit a status report on the condition of buildings that were used to run anganwadi centres.

The court fixed the deadline in response to a fresh petition seeking probe by an independent investigating agency into the work undertaken by the state government for construction and repair of buildings having anganwadi centres between 2000 and 2012.

Advocate Dillip Kumar Mohapatra, who had filed a PIL on anganwadi centres in the state in February last year, filed the fresh petition following the death of seven children when the wall of an anganwadi centre collapsed at Nelia Upper Primary School in Nayagarh district on July 9.

The PIL pending before the court had sought proper implementation of the midday meal programme, supply of drinking water, infrastructure at anganwadi centres and steps to repair those that were damaged and unsafe.

The division bench of Chief Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra, before which the fresh petition came up on Monday, posted the matter to be heard along with the case for framing of contempt charges against two senior IAS officers for not following an order related to the supply of drinking water to all anganwadi centres, on the PIL.

Advocate general Ashok Mohanty sought more time to file a counter affidavit on the petition. The court allowed seven days.

The petitioner said the February 2011 PIL had pointed out that 1,639 anganwadi centres were beyond repair and about 4,819 required major renovation. Another 5,023 required minor repairs.

Responding to notices issued on the PIL, the state government in its reply filed on July 10, 2011, had stated: “The woman and child welfare department had placed a sum of Rs 17 crore with the districts for repairing/construction of anganwadi centres across the state during 2009-10. Further, the 13th Finance Commission has earmarked a sum of Rs 400 crore for the construction of anganwadi centres across the state.”

Mohapatra alleged that the allotted funds were not properly utilised and “substandard work was done by the contractors without supervision”.

The incident in which seven children were killed on July 9 is a consequence of the “drawing of money by contractors without constructing or repairing anganwadi centres in various districts”, Mohapatra alleged.

The petition sought inquiry into the “standard of work done by the contractors” during 2000-12, while seeking direction to the state government for submission of details of funds received from the central government for the purpose during the period.