KENDRAPARA: Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda visited Nuagaon under Rajnagar block on Sunday and shared a meal prepared by the dalit cook of the local anganwadi centre which was boycotted by villagers reportedly due to caste discrimination.
The villagers had stopped sending their children and women to the anganwadi centre since November after the appointment of Sarmista Sethi (23) as cook cum helper in the facility.
Panda said he was pleased with the district administration and the state women commission for resolving the threemonth deadlock on Saturday, with villagers agreeing to send their children back to the centre from Monday. Member of the Odisha State Women Commission Kalpana Mallick noted that caste and gender discrimination in access to education, nutrition and healthcare severely affect dalit women and children.
She added that constitutional provisions guarantee equality before the law, prohibit caste-based discrimination and abolish untouchability. Sethi, who was appointed as a cook in the anganwadi centre on November 24 last year, said,
“Now I am happy that villagers have decided to cooperate and help the centre run smoothly.” Kendrapara sub-collector Arun Kumar Nayak said senior officials are closely monitoring the situation and expressed hope that all children would resume attending the anganwadi centre from Monday.