Cuttack, Sept. 20: Odisha government’s principal secretary, rural development department, and commissioner-cum-secretary, child welfare department, have filed additional affidavits in Orissa High Court promising to provide by end of March next year drinking water at 5,674 anganwadi centres that do not have the facility on their premises.

Of these, 4,293 have their own buildings, while the rest function from school buildings. In two separate affidavits, principal secretary rural development department Surendranath Tripathy and commissioner-cum-secretary child welfare department Arti Ahuja asked to be let off from contempt proceedings by tendering “unqualified apology”. The court, however, went ahead with the contempt proceedings.

Indicating the present status of 35,346 anganwadi centres (as on September 6), Tripathy said 16,031 anganwadi centres have their own buildings, but 11,738 of them have drinking water facilities on the premises. Of the 19,315 anganwadi centres functioning from school premises, 17,934 have drinking water facilities on the premises.

“Tube wells will be sunk in the 5,674 anganwadi centres by the end of March 2013,” Tripathy said in his affidavit. At present, drinking water facilities are available outside the premises of these anganwadi centres within a radius of 250 metres. Ahuja also stated this in her affidavit.

On August 13, the two senior IAS officers had filed separate affidavits pleading for dropping of contempt proceedings.

The court, however, went ahead with the contempt proceedings. The additional affidavits were submitted by senior counsel Ashok Kumar Parija.