By News Agency of Kashmir,
Srinagar: Thousands of Anganwari Centers opened across the state early this year have not received any supply since inception, while the workers appointed to run these Centres are running from pillar to post for release of honorarium for the period.
The process of setting up of the Centres, including identification of habitations and appointment of workers was completed in the month of January this year and all these Centres were officially declared as functioning after fifteen days.
Though all these Centres, opened under phase two of the centrally sponsored Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), are functioning on the papers with regular nutrition supply pouring in from the central government, the same is rotting for want of its proper use.
Highly placed sources told News Agency of Kashmir that the nutrition supplies received all over these months are rotting in social welfare department stores, adding to the long list of wastage of resources due to easygoing attitude of the government functionaries.
The delay in making these Centres functional is attributed to the failure of the department to dispense with the complaints of favoritism in the selection of workers by its officials.
The allegations of discrepancies in the appointment have also led to litigations and intervention of Vigilance Organization which has filed corruption cases against the officials against whom complaints were received.
It was reliably learned that the Social welfare Minister Sakina Itoo had given deadline of two months to the department to come up with fresh recruitment for the Centers where there were complaints of unfair selection of the candidates. However, department has failed to comply with the dead line thus leaving the fate of these centers and workers to hang in balance.
While the workers against whom there was no complaint were also being debarred from running their Centres and denied of the monthly honorarium for none of their fault, the huge stores of supplies of nutrition meant for poor children is also rotting in the stores. (NAK)