51 anganwadis in Ernakulam yet to receive fitness certificates

Fifty-one anganwadis in Ernakulam district are yet to receive fitness certificates though it is usually done between April-June coinciding with the start of the new academic year.

The Ernakulam district has 2,858 anganwadis, which are supposed to get their fitness certified by assistant engineers of the local bodies concerned. In the case of 51 anganwadis, the delay in the issue of fitness certificates has been attributed to the non-availability of assistant engineers due to transfer and postings rather than safety issues. Among these, 32 anganwadis are in the Palluruthy region alone.

“They are likely to be inspected and issued fitness certificates in the next fortnight,” said Women and Child Development department sources.

Cobra found in anganwadi

The recent incident in which a cobra was found inside the almirah of an anganwadi in Karumaloor panchayat has raised serious safety and infrastructural concerns about anganwadis.

In this case, the anganwadi remains surrounded by ripe paddy fields and a window pane was missing through which the snake is suspected to have sneaked in.

“We have replaced the window pane since then and have taken steps to clean the area in front of the anganwadi since the other three sides are paddy fields. We have also covered the air holes with nets,” said Sabitha Naser, president, Karumaloor panchayat.

Infrastructural and safety issues

Unsafe surroundings of anganwadi buildings, like abandoned plots with dense thicket overgrowth or a precarious tree in the neighbourhood, do pose a safety hazard, admit department sources. Around 600 anganwadis in the district do not have own buildings and operate either out of rented buildings or local body buildings for free.

“The problem is that a uniform rent is fixed for both urban and rural areas for anganwadi buildings. This makes it near impossible to find rented buildings in urban local bodies like Kochi Corporation. Low rented buildings come embedded with infrastructural and safety issues. Since land is at a premium in Kochi, anganwadis are built on one cents and two cents and in rare cases even over drains. The State government should allot dedicated space for setting up anganwadis with necessary infrastructure,” said M.G. Aristotle, Congress councillor in Kochi Corporation.

A child development project officer said that since last year anganwadis are subjected to safety audit every three months and that they are no longer allowed to function out of unfit buildings.

Payment

The lowly monthly payment for anganwadi workers and helpers, ₹13,000 and ₹9,000 respectively, and the archaic rule for appointment also add to the problems.

While SSLC pass is the criteria for appointment as workers, those who have failed SSLC are supposed to be appointed as helpers with the exception being given in scheduled caste and scheduled tribe areas.

“It is difficult in our State to find those who have failed SSLC these days. In such cases, we have to share helpers with anganwadis in the neighbouring wards provided the ward members concerned accede,” said a woman and child development department official.