Hinjilicut: The Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has set up Anganwadi centers in rural and urban areas to provide quality pre-school education for children aged three to six, ensuring their mental and physical development and access to nutritious food. However, in some areas, these centers are facing severe infrastructure challenges.
Two Centers Lack Their Own Building
Along with early childhood education, these centers also play a crucial role in maternal and child healthcare, immunization, and social welfare initiatives. However, the unfortunate reality is that in many places, young children do not have a dedicated classroom to sit and learn. Some centers operate from rented houses, while others function in community halls or even under school verandas.
Despite repeated deadlines for constructing permanent buildings, little progress has been made. A glaring example of this issue is that in one location, three Anganwadi centers are being run from a single room.
Anganwadi Center in Ward No. 10
For instance, in Hinjilicut Municipality, two Anganwadi centers from Wards 7 and 8 lack their own buildings. As a result, children from these wards are being accommodated in the Anganwadi center of Ward 10, which was built in 2018 at a cost of ₹5 lakh and inaugurated on January 26 of that year. Since then, this single room has been used to educate children from Wards 7, 8, and 10.
Three Anganwadi workers manage the education of children, while three helpers from different wards prepare meals for them in the same space. This overcrowding has led to multiple challenges. Parents of children from Wards 7 and 8 have expressed dissatisfaction and, in many cases, are unwilling to send their children to these centers due to the lack of proper infrastructure.
Meetings for all Anganwadi workers under the municipality are held every two to three months, with senior officials in attendance. However, the infrastructural issues remain unaddressed.
When contacted, CDPO Gangi Subudhi stated that the construction of a building in one of the three wards has been completed. Soon, the children will be relocated there. However, since two centers will still have to function temporarily in the current setup, parents are demanding permanent buildings for each ward.