Rayagada AWCs depend upon providence: Dire systemic deficit leads to hoax
Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, November 4: Anganwadi Centre(AWC) in Madanpur village under Kolnara block of Rayagada district depicts the sorry state of affairs. The village is around two kilometres from block headquarters and 15 kilometres from district headquarters. The centre is easily accessible & beside a sturdy tar road.
Unfortunately, the AWC is functioning from a very old abandoned & dilapidated school building having ruptured asbestos with scores of holes in the roof, which facilitate rain water gushing into the room. Interestingly enough, all the activities like taking weights, measurements, ECCE and play activities alongwith pregnant & lactating mother’s meeting, etc. are conducted in this small single room. So logically, all the instruments, teaching learning aids and play materials including eggs, rice & other cooking materials are stacked inside this only room with a floor having plasters thoroughly damaged. Room is dampy even during this winter and not at all fit for tiny tots’ health.
And lo ! It is lunch time. Adding salt to the injury, the disciplined but physically stunted young siblings sat in two rows in front of a shabby kitchen running in yet another abandoned anganwadi building in peril. The Anganwadi Worker(AWW), a tribal lady hailing from the same village, said that she had written about these existential issues times and again to Supervisor, CDBO and BDO, Kolnara but in vein. But the District Social Welfare Officer, Rayagada passed on the blame to the AWW by saying that she had instructed the AWW to shift the AWC.
“The visits of the Collector to the Block are orchestrated. Joint visits are made to mission shakti hall, beautification of ponds, other initiatives and they end after mutual patting. Systemic deficit are mostly overlooked. Enthusiasm and vested interests surround activities where high investments are made. Rosy and romantic pictures are pushed into the public after taking photographs from different angles”, lamented Sri Rasmi Ranjan Dora, a farmer-entrepreneur from Kolnara block.
Sri Rabindra Patakhandal, a right activist and a budding scribe, who accompanied this correspondent to this AWC said, ”If something happens like roof or walls collapsing causing physical harm to the children and the staff members, who will be accountable ? It is not the question of accountability, but human life. Though Govt is boasting that under Saksham Anganwadi scheme in an aspirational district like Rayagada, the AWC shall be strengthened, upgraded and rejuvenated for improving nutrition delivery including Poshan Vatikas for stimulating the creative, social, emotional, cognitive and intellectual development of children under 6 years of age in convergence with education development programmes, providing/adding more services with better infrastructure including internet/wifi connectivity, LED screens, water purifier/installation of RO machine and Early Childhood Care and Education with smart learning aids, audio-visual aids, child-friendly learning equipment and art work (educational painting, practice board for children, information board), installation of Rain Water Harvesting System, etc., Madanpur story reflects the sorry state of affairs and proves that all the declarations are nothing but hoax.”
Investing in young children is need of the hour. This being the priority of the state, the policies need to be implemented by the field staff in true spirit in ground zero.
