Ballari: In a shocking incident, local women came to the Gram Panchayat office and complained that the food served to young children, pregnant and lactating women at the Anganwadi Centre in nearby Sirigeri Village was substandard and unfit for consumption.
In Anganawadi centres, dirty jaggery, garbage-laden rice, sugar, dal, milk powder, rotten eggs are being served, the villagers alleged and added that this too was not being given at some centres.
The villagers alleged that if Anganawadi workers are questioned, they give them irresponsible replies that they were simply distributing food supplied by the Department. The women questioned at the Panchayat whether Anganawadi workers and their children eat such food in their homes.
When some Anganawadi workers were asked about this, they were of the opinion that the problem in maintaining quality food in one centre is found but in other centres the quality of food is maintained. However, as women have complained, pregnant women and lactating women are not taking food or food materials from Anganwadi centres in the recent past, they added.
The villagers complained that they cooked in the Angaanwadi for a fortnight and fed the pregnant women. Now it has stopped. They also alleged that the quality of food being served to children are not good.
They further said, “even if we do not send children they take them to the centres forcefully. If something happens to our children who will take the responsibility,” they sought to know.
Eggs, jaggery, sugar, milk powder and other items given by the Centre were displayed on the table of the Panchayat office. They warned that if this is not corrected, protests will be held in front of the Panchayat in the coming days.
