Padmapur: The government spends crores of rupees towards developing infrastructure of Anganwadi centres, supplementary food and pre-primary education of children, but an Anganwadi centre has been operating under a tree in Bideipur under Basudevpur block in Bhadrak district.
Now in summer, students are taught lessons under the scorching sun. The Anganwadi centre has no kitchen or toilet. This is how it has been running for the last nine years, but the administration and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) authorities have closed their eyes to the plight of the children and the Anganwadi workers, the villagers lamented.
It was learnt that irrespective of bad weather, children are taught at least two hours a day here.
In the current year, seven children were admitted to the Anganwadi centre.
Anganwadi worker Suprabha Mohanty, while teaching under the hot sun, said as a building for the centre is not being set up, children are forced to sit under a tree.
“In the absence of a kitchen, food preparation is often affected,” she added.
Basudevpur child development project officer (CDPO) Janaki Das said that due to a land dispute, a building for the Anganwadi centre has not been constructed as yet.
It was learnt that there are 422 Anganwadi centres in the block. The woman and child development department has issued work orders for the construction of 313 buildings. Of them, 167 buildings have been constructed.
Construction of 146 buildings is yet to be completed.
Sadly, there are 110 Anganwadi centres where children are taught under the open sky or in precarious conditions.
It was alleged that the officials engaged in ICDS have been discharging their duties in pen and paper, without putting in place essential infrastructure at these centres.
The villagers were upset over the miserable state in which the Anganwadi centre is being run. They have demanded immediate steps for the construction of the building to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their children.
PNN