CHENNAI: The Comptroller and Auditor General’s audit on the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in Tamil Nadu between 2020 and 2023, has flagged several concerns regarding the scheme’s implementation, including a lack of beneficiary data, inadequate monitoring and misuse of funds.
One of the key findings was that rationalisation of anganwadi centres (AWCs), mandated by the centre in 2014, was initiated only in 2021-22 and completed in 2023. However, the state’s ICDS Directorate had no data on uncovered areas or mini AWCs needing upgrades. However, the state said the rationalisation exercise was complete and uncovered areas were identified, the report said.
The audit also revealed that the state failed to conduct annual beneficiary surveys leading to discrepancies in data as the total number of beneficiaries differed in each set of data like TN ICDS, Poshan tracker and monthly progress reports.
The audit also noted that Rs 10 crore (2020-21) for AWC construction and Rs 7.75 crore (2021-22) for maintenance from the centre were pending as of March 2024. The state government said the funds hadn’t been released despite repeated requests. This apart, the state failed to use Rs 3 crore given for Poshan Abhiyaan Award (2018-19) to be utilised for gap filling and innovation.
A significant shortfall in coverage of children aged three to six was seen, with only 8.18 lakh of the 18.49 lakh children in this age group covered in 2022-23. The government attributed this to migration to private institutions but failed to address AWCs’ lack of adequate human resources and infrastructure to prevent such migration, the report said.
The audit also pointed out that only 73% of AWCs were FSSAI-registered. Non-provision of funds for the renewal of FSSAI licence and non-reimbursement of full cost of cooking gas to Anganwadi workers (AWWs) resulted in shifting the government’s responsibility on AWWs as well as burdening them financially. There are also vacancies in the AWW positions (18.8%).
Other issues included inflated procurement costs for LED TVs resulting in excess expenditure of Rs 33 lakh in surveyed AWCs and procurement of carrom boards worth Rs 3.81 crore in violation of centre’s guidelines as part of pre-school education kits which remained unused.
The state lacked a dedicated toll-free number for ICDS, and the centralised Poshan Abhiyaan number (14408) offered only Hindi and English options, defeating the objective of an inclusive grievance redressal platform for ICDS beneficiaries, it said.