More than 1.1 lakh anganwadis from the state will be given disaster management equipment worth Rs474 crore. A proposal for procurement on such a large scale is being moved in response to a letter written by the minister for disaster management to the state commissioner for Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in charge of anganwadis. It has become a hot topic of debate in the corridors of Mantralaya.
Never before in recent years have anganwadis been provided with something to deal with a disaster-like situation. The ICDS, an arm of the Women and Child Development Department, is directly dealing with the procurement, in response to the Disaster Management Department, headed by minister Anil Patil, who asked the commissioner to move such a proposal.
Interestingly, neither the minister for women and child development nor the secretary for the department have been approached, nor their involvement has been sought, sources in the know say. According to Mantralaya officials, this clearly bypasses well-established norms and raises doubts about the proposal and the need for equipment on such a large scale.
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The ICDS commissioner, instead of writing to his department secretary, has directly asked the secretary of the disaster management to approve funds for the purchase or get the procurement done for them. The FPJ has a copy of the letter in its possession. While a phone call made to Minister of Women and Child Development, Aditi Tatkare, to seek her response remained unanswered, a reply to the text messages was awaited till the story was submitted.
The equipment the ICDS commissioner has demanded include: Clean agent fire extinguisher, various types of disaster educational charts, LED rechargeable hanging lamps, mega phone speakers, a fire bucket stand with three bucket set and umbrellas. While fire extinguisher will cost for Rs14,445 each, educational charts will cost Rs1,017 each, LED lamp is priced at Rs1,669 each, megaphone speaker for Rs2,140, fire bucket for Rs8,400 and umbrella for Rs383.
Sources close to the department claim it was not known how the demand came from over 1.1 lakh anganwadis spread across 36 districts of the state, where 64.63 lakh children, pregnant and lactating mothers are the intended beneficiaries. It was also not known whether the equipment were demanded by the anganwadis and whether basic training was given to the staffers attached with it. And, most importantly, who decided that only these equipment were needed for disaster management, an official said on a condition of anonymity.
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“We hope that the department will conduct a scrutiny before making purchase of the equipment on such a large scale. Though such equipment is intended for the safety of the children and lactating mothers, no unwanted purchases should be made that will pave a way for corruption,” Subha Shameem, state secretary of CITU and a leading face that works for anganwadi workers, said.
