CUTTACK: Acting on a PIL, a division bench of Orissa High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice P Mohanty and Justice B Mohanty has issued notice to State Government to file its response over the delay in construction of anganwadi centres.
The petitioner Pradip Pradhan stated before the court that in order to provide pre-school education and improve nutritional health status of children in the age group of 0-6, anganwadi centres have been established under ICDS programme.
The centres were functioning either in schools or in community buildings. On repeated demand for own buildings, the Centre decided to provide funds for construction. The Central Government sanctioned `2,6996.00 lakh under the State Plan for 2010-11 to 2013-14 for construction of 6559 Anganwadi buildings. But, in the last four years only 151 buildings have been completed, the petitioner alleged.
Similarly, the 13th Finance Commission sanctioned `300 crore for construction of 8000 buildings of which only around 754 have been completed. Apart from that under NOP Scheme `18.95 crore was sanctioned for 379 buildings of which none has been taken up.
Indicating other circumstances the petitioner has appealed the court to direct the State to complete construction of anganwadi centres and utilise the amount sanctioned within a fixed time frame.