Tihidi: About 50 Anganwadi centres in Tihidi block of Bhadrak do not have their own buildings. The administration had decided to construct Anganwadi buildings under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) two years ago, but not a single work has started as yet.
Funds worth lakhs of rupees that were provided under the scheme are lying unutilised, say sources.
MGNREGS is aimed at providing labour-intensive work to the rural poor through various projects. However, scores of people fail to get adequate work under the scheme. This has raised a question mark over the relevance of the scheme.
On the other hand, Anganwadi workers and children are facing a lot of problems due to the absence of buildings. Pre-school teaching, supplementary nutrition and immunisation of children and medical care for expectant mothers is being affected due to lack of basic infrastructure.
According to reports, the government has provided funds for nine Anganwadi centres in 2013-14; funds for six centres in 2014-15 and for five centres in 2016-17. An amount of `5 lakh was sanctioned for buildings of each Anganwadi centre.
The fund amount was hiked to `7 lakh each for 28 Anganwadi buildings in the 2016-17 fiscal. It was learnt that the block administration has issued work orders for construction of the buildings; work on these buildings has however remained a non-starter.
Locals of Saya panchayat said for the last two years, construction of Anganwadi centres was not being carried out, as a result of which 39 children face a lot of difficulty in their studies. The children are being taught at a room in Birabarpur primary school building.
The building work of Fatehpur Anganwadi centre-2 has been lying incomplete for the last one-and-a-half years.
Sources said the Anganwadi centres whose construction work is yet to be taken up included Isanpur in Guamal panchayat, Barikpur in Kuberi panchayat, Agiria and Gopa Mahaliksahi in Talapada panchayat, Samantrapur-1 in Achak panchayat, Gopalmadhab in Paliabindha panchayat, Harijansahi in Dolasahi panchayat, Chabispada-1 in Baro panchayat, Bilana-1, Khardapatana-1 in Bodak panchayat, Talagopa-2 in Talagopabindha panchayat, Nuakulasahi and Shyamsundarpur in Kanpada panchayat, Haripur and Narendrapur in Sahapur panchayat, Chhatrapada-1, Darpur, Jamjodi, Kanpur, Kolha-2, Kamaria-1 and Indiria-1.
Locals demanded expeditious steps to begin construction work on the Anganwadi buildings.
BDO Sudhir Kumar Singh, who is in-charge of CDPO, said contractors have been instructed to start work and they will be served notices again. PNN
