Srinagar, May 28 (KNO): Parents of hundreds of children registered with various Anganwadi centers Srinagar and elsewhere in Kashmir Thursday alleged mass bungling and complete mismanagement of government supply meant for distribution among kids at various Angawadi centers.
The parents have urged the top brass of social welfare department to hold surprise checks of all Anganwadi Centres in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir, take stock of supply distribution and get feedback from the parents too.
The parents said that the employees of social welfare department don’t even come to the centers as per the guidelines furnished by the government for regular run of the Angawadi centers.
Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the parents whose children are registered with the local centers complained that the amount of essentials provided to them are being sold by the Anganwardi workers and helpers in black market and children registered are given pea nuts.
“I saw myself a huge government supply reaching out Anganwari Centre that included rice, cooking oil, nutrition diet like pulses, biscuits and other edible items, but what I got is cooking oil in medicine bottle, and three spoons of turmeric powder and two biscuit packets for my daughter, who is three-year-old,” said Amina Begum, a resident of Panderethan area of Srinagar.
Atiqa Begum, whose two daughters are admitted in an Anganwadi Centre at Achanambal, Zafran Colony, Pantha Chowk, Srinagar, alleged that the head of the Centre never attends to her duty and leaves everything to a helper.
“We don’t know that happens to the government supply. We urge the concerned supervisor to search the house of the concerned head of the Anganwadi Centre to see whether the concerned head has kept the government supply at her house for her own kids and relatives,” she alleged.
KNO received scores of complaints of bungling of government supply at Aganwadi Centers in Srinagar and demanded a thorough probe by the social welfare department.
The news agency received calls from areas that include Athwajan, PanthaChowk, Sonwar, Pandrethan, Sempora, Nishat, Brein, Lasjan, Soiteng, Rajbagh and other parts of Srinagar over the past few days with parents of children alleging that they don’t get what government supplies to Anganwadi Centres.
When contacted, officials at the Social Welfare department told KNO that all supervisors will be directed to conduct surprise checks of the Aganwadi Centers in their areas.
“If any bungling or misappropriation is reported, action will follow. The supply mean for the poor children won’t be allowed to go homes of Aanganwadi workers,” they said. Repeated calls to Director social welfare department didn't fructify—(KNO)