Anganwadi centres in Jalandhar district of Punjab have been struggling with a shortage of ration supplies for nearly three months, leading to a halt in a government nutrition programme for young children. Children between three and six years are being given biscuits, toffees and namkeen instead of the nutritious meals they are supposed to receive under the programme.
The programme provides children with dalia, khichdi, panjiri and fun pops (murmure). Pregnant women, lactating mothers and children between six months and three years are also entitled to take-home rations from the centres.
According to a report by The Tribune, the shortage began after Markfed suspended its tender for supplying food items in April following complaints about poor quality. Since then, regular supplies have not reached the Anganwadi centres.
CJP school audit in Punjab draws criticism
The situation comes shortly after a CJP team visited three government schools in Ludhiana as part of what they called a school audit, but the team turned the visit into a PR campaign for Punjab’s government schools. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das led the team, which visited a government School of Eminence, a government senior secondary school and a government primary school.
According to Das, the School of Eminence had relatively good infrastructure, including a swimming pool and badminton court, while the other two schools had several shortcomings.
After the visit, Das and other CJP members met Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who reportedly assured them that action would be taken on the complaints. AAP founder and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also thanked Das for pointing out the deficiencies.
Jalandhar Anganwadi workers arrange food themselves
While the so-called school audit has focused attention on relatively better-performing government schools, the condition of Anganwadi centres in Jalandhar highlights a bigger problem involving basic services for children and women, an issue that was not addressed by the CJP during its visit.
Nirlep Kaur, district president of the Punjab Anganwadi Workers Union, said all 1,634 Anganwadi centres across Jalandhar’s 11 blocks had been without regular food supplies for the past three months. “There are 1,634 anganwadi centres across 11 blocks in Jalandhar. All of them have been without food supplies for the past three months. In the absence of regular rations, we are distributing whatever packaged food is available,” she said.
“Similarly, lactating mothers, pregnant women and children below the age of three years, who are entitled to take-home rations, are being turned away with the assurance that they will receive their food once supplies arrive,” she added.
Workers said many of them have been spending money from their own pockets to buy biscuits and other packaged food. Some have also been bringing extra tiffins from home so that children have something to eat.
Suman, an Anganwadi worker near Lamma Pind Chowk, said, “I have not received any ration supply at my centre since July. Around 15 to 16 children attend the centre. If I do not give them anything to eat, parents will stop sending them. So, I arrange biscuits for them. The children also bring tiffins from home.”
