Ensure milk, eggs are supplied in prescribed quantity in anganwadis, says SHRC

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the Women and Child Development (WCD) department director to enforce the guidelines issued for effective implementation of Poshaka Balyam in anganwadis.

The directive by commission chairperson Alexander Thomas comes on a complaint that milk and eggs were not being distributed in proper quantities in anganwadis under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Thiruvananthapuram Urban III project office. Anganwadi workers and helpers under Thiruvananthapuram Urban had given the complaint.

Poshaka Balyam is a continuing scheme of the State government under which milk and eggs are provided twice a week to children attending anganwadi.

The commission had sought a report from the WCD director in the issue. The director informed the commission that as per a circular issued on May 20, 2022, a child has to be given 125 ml of milk. However, milk was not being distributed in the prescribed quantity in the anganwadi where the complaint arose. In some angwadis, even when more than four children were present, only 500 ml of milk was provided to them. Anganwadis had been directed to comply strictly with the circular, the WCD director’s report said.