The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 8,712 anganwadi centres proposed for ICDS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 07, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

8,712 anganwadi centres proposed for ICDS

Nagesh Prabhu

The scheme is for early childhood care and development
Balavikas Samithis will be formed in all anganwadi centres in the next one year

Bangalore: Since nearly 50 per cent of children under the age of six are underweight in the State, the Government has proposed to establish 8,712 anganwadi centres in various districts for effective implementation of the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) scheme.

A Government Circular has also been issued to establish a 13-member Balavikas Samithi in all anganwadi centres in the next one year.

The ICDS, a unique programme for early childhood care and development, has been suffering from shortage of anganwadi centres and infrastructural problems. To expand the scheme to cover all community development blocks in rural and urban areas, the Government has submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Welfare seeking sanction of 5,786 anganwadi centres and 2,926 mini-anganwadi centres, an official in the State Women and Child Development Department told The Hindu on Monday.

The highest number of anganwadi centres has been proposed at Gulbarga (838), followed by Uttar Kannada (678), Raichur (492), Davangere (420), Chitradurga (371), Belgaum (370) and Kolar (338). As on March 31, 2007, the State had 54,260 anganwadi centres. The Supreme Court has directed the State Governments to provide centres even in those areas where less than 100 families reside.

The progress in Karnataka has been modest compared to other States with comparable socioeconomic indicators. The official said 1,140 anganwadi centres would be established in areas dominated by Scheduled Castes and 405 centres in areas dominated by Scheduled Tribes.

Shortage of anganwadi centres, anganwadi workers and delay in sanction of funds by the Centre has affected the scheme. Nearly 8,000 habitations in the State still do not have centres and children in those habitations suffer from malnutrition. The Centre has allocated Rs. 124 crore to the State in 2007-08 for the ICDS.

Experts pointed out that child malnutrition was mostly the result of high levels of exposure to infection and inappropriate infant and young child feeding and caring practices. It has its origins mostly during the first two to three years of life. The Balavikas Samithis will implement and monitor the scheme. The samithis would be established in all centres in the next one year, the official said.

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