Nabin Patnaik, Chief Minister- Giant Killer of Children in Odisha

Nabin Patnaik, Chief Minister- Giant Killer of Children in Odisha

Dear friends

A child is the future of country. The life of a Child has been safeguarded by starting from Indian Constitution to United Nation’s Convention on Rights of Child. To save the children from vulnerability, malnutrition and hunger, the National Govt.  has launched ICDS  programme from 1973   with required budgetary allocation in each year   to all states  to ensure  nutritious food  to  the  children  along  with provision of  other  services like immunisation, free health  check up, pr-schooling, referral service etc. through Anganwadi Centres.  Full-fledged Anganwadi centres with availability of all infrastructures is pre-requisite to render ICDS service to the Children of age group of 7 months to 6 years.   While hearing WP(C ) No. 196/2001, the Supreme Court  has  given   series of directions to both Central Government   and State Government  to streamline  ICDS programme including developing infrastructure  like own building  and other accessories for  each Anganwadi Centres. The Central Govt.  has also made huge financial allocation to State Govt.  for construction of   building of the AWCs. 

 Within 18 years of rule in Odisha as Chief Minister, Nabin Patnaik has claimed of taking a lot of measures including Mamata Yojana to check child malnutrition and child death in the state.  But we do not see any substantial changes in reduction of child malnutrition death in the state.  Despite huge allocation and expenditure of fund for ICDS programme and distribution of egg and Chhatua  to the beneficiaries, ICDS project  has miserably  failed  to   check child malnutrition  in Odisha mostly in tribal pockets.  To cover up child malnutrition issue, many times the state Govt. attributes  the reason of child death   is   unknown disease , sometimes  lack of treatment  etc.

But the major challenge  the Anganwadi workers  face  while  carrying out multiple  activity under ICDS project is lack of infrastructure i.e., own building.  As per  the information obtained  under RTI  on 31.3.2017  from Dept. of Women and Child Development, Govt. of Odisha,  55 % of Anganwadi Centre do not  have own building in Odisha. Due to  absence of  own building , the Aganwadi workers are  seen gathering  the children in open field or  under tree or someone’s verandah.  children are not only served  food properly but also  deprived of  immunisation and pre-school education. The  ill-trained  and illiterate Anganwadi workers  conduct their office work in their  house and hardly  visits centres. Besides  that  the huge  corruption,  misappropriation of fund , distribution of  low quality Chhatua  has marred  ICDS programme  in tribal pockets.

  The question comes why Nabin Patnaik Govt.   precariously failed  to ensure  building  to all Centres within 18 years of rule in the state.   The reason cited by State Govt.   as non-availability of fund   is big hoax. Because the special untied fund is given by Central Govt.  under various schemes like IAP, Tribal sub-plan schemes, NREGA  etc.  which  could have been used  to  develop infrastructure  for AWCs. MPLAD, MLAD LAD  of BJD MPs and MLAs  could have been used  to develop infrastructure.  But  this Govt.  has failed  in all respects.  Lack of transparency,  mis-governance  and Maladministration and corruption  perpetuated  by Nabin Patnaik  has  brought down economic development of the state and resulted in big failure of ICDS project in Odisha.

Status of Own Building of Anganwadi Centres in Odisha

Sl.No	Name of District	Sanctioned			Own Building as on 31.12.2016
		Anganwadi Centres	Mini-AWCs	Total
1	Angul	1622	32	1654	939
2	Balasore	3687	480	4167	1055
3	Baragarh	2670	229	2899	1116
4	Bhadrak	2166	269	2435	849
5	Bolangir	2472	188	2660	1496
6	Boudh	650	67	717	450
7	Cuttack	2992	326	3318	770
8	Deogarh	572	216	788	514
9	Dhenkanal	1873	327	2200	1381
10	Gajapati	1451	924	2375	894
11	Ganjam	5073	66	5139	1735
12	Jagatsingh Pur	1647	193	1840	525
13	Jajpur	2760	46	2806	717
14	Jharsuguda	786	171	957	664
15	Kalahandi	1837	410	2247	1411
16	Kandhamal	1580	522	2102	1364
17	Kendrapara	1883	264	2147	446
18	Keonjhar	2512	745	3257	1889
19	Khurda	2409	145	2554	747
20	Koraput	2723	541	3264	1617
21	Malkangiri	1020	230	1250	1050
22	Mayurbhanj	3680	1200	4880	3041
23	Nawarangpur	2038	181	2219	1495
24	Nayagarh	1169	415	1584	447
25	Nuapara	1216	140	1356	970
26	Puri	2560	39	2599	607
27	Rayagada	1397	550	1947	962
28	Sambalpur	1466	380	1846	1368
29	Subarnpur	1250	321	1571	694
30	Sundargarh	3010	799	3809	2351
	Total	62171	10416	72587	33564

Sanjay Sahu, RTI Activist

Core-Committee Member of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan

M- 86416694

Date- 28.4.17