Anganwadi teachers paying from their pockets for eggs supplied to children

BENGALURU: Anganwadis in parts of the state are facing a shortage in the supply of eggs, which are given to pregnant women and children, and LPG cylinders, forcing the teachers and assistants to pay for them from their own pockets. The Women and Child Development Department, which was in the news earlier for supply of poor quality eggs, has reportedly not been releasing money to anganwadis in Bengaluru for eggs and gas cylinders.

After Public TV highlighted the issue on Saturday, Women and Child  Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar issued instructions to officials to take immediate action. Deputy Director of the Women and Child Welfare Department, Siddaramanna, said that the funds will be released to anganwadis within 10 days.

Eggs are given in anganwadis to pregnant women and children to alleviate malnutrition. The government normally does not supply eggs directly to anganwadis, but the anganwadi workers make purchases and the money is credited into their account later. But, for the last 3-4 months, the government has stopped the egg supply. Not only that, the LPG cylinder bills have also not been released.

There are 2,800 Anganwadis in the city. For the last three to four months, anganwadi workers are suffering as their pay is less and they are being forced to spend their salaries on ensuring nutritious food to pregnant women and children.

As per norms, each pregnant woman should be given 25 eggs per month at the anganwadis while 3-6-year-olds should be given eight eggs per month. A total of 12 eggs should be given to malnourished children. In each anganwadi, there are anywhere between 20 and 40 children and at least 10 pregnant women consume food every day. The cost of eggs itself comes up to Rs 4,000-5,000 per anganwadi and the workers allege that the government is not releasing grants.

Anganwadi workers are also forced to purchase LPG cylinders from their own salaries. They are outraged that all their earnings is being spent on this.

Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, speaking to the media on the issue in Belagavi, said there should be transparency in the purchase of eggs and the tender process is on. On depositing money into the accounts of anganwadi workers, she said it has been paid in almost all the districts. “Except for Bidar and Bengaluru districts, everything is alright in other districts. I am gathering information about what is happening in these two districts”, she said.

Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and Deputy Director of WCWD Siddaramanna.

“The recruitment process for 1,000 assistants and 440 anganwadi workers in Bengaluru has not happened whereas it has been completed in 13 districts. I will collect information about this and give instructions for necessary action”, Hebbalkar said. She said that there is always some kind of friction between her and the Finance Department when it comes to releasing funds.

D K Kantaraju, Karnataka Poultry Cooperative Federation president, who supplies eggs to anganwadis, said, “The government have not paid for the supply eggs to for the past couple of months. The price of eggs has increased, but the government is not ready to revise the price. Egg supply will be stopped in 45 taluks including Ramanagara, Mysuru, Channapatna this month. We have already brought it to the attention of Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, but it has been of no use. Normally, eggs should be supplied on November 5, but we will not supply unless the pending bills are cleared”.