PERAMBALUR: Parents complain of the Anganwadi centre at Keezha Perambalur in the district functioning from a rented building for four months without sufficient basic facilities, including a fan and toilets. According to sources, 30 students used to study at the Anganwadi centre located on South Street, which was closed during the Covid-19-induced lockdown in 2020.
Owing to lack of maintenance, seemai karuvelam trees and thorny bushes grew all around the building. The building lacked toilets, which led to open defecation even before it was closed. Lack of public toilets also led to local residents defecating around the building. The centre reopened in April this year, but it started functioning from a rented building.
However, the rented building also lacks a toilet and does not have even a fan, sources said. Parents said they have submitted four petitions until now -- at the collectorate and to Transport Minister SS Sivsasankar -- demanding immediate action. Subsequently, funds were allocated for the works and authorities cleared the trees around the building.
However, the work has not been completed and open defecation continues, parents alleged. G Ilayaraja, the uncle of a child, said, "The own building of the centre is much worse. There was a fence around the building, which is now damaged. People continue to defecate around the building, making it very unhygienic. The rented building is old and has a tiled roof. It lacks a fan and children find it very difficult to sit inside. The building is also located on the main road, posing risk to children.
Therefore, several parents are forced to stay back and take the children home in the evening. The authorities should clean the premises, erect a fence around the building, instal fans and build toilets." An official source said, "The panchayat officials said they would clean the centre's own building within a month. So, we put the children in a rented building as a stopgap arrangement.
But, even after four months, the building has not been properly cleaned. With no option left, we are forced to house children in the rented building." When contacted, an official from Integrated Child Development Services in Perambalur said, "We have just received funds. All the work will be completed soon."