Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 12 April 2021
Integrated Child Development Services (Anganwadi Services) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented in Andaman and Nicobar Islands through 5 ICDS Projects. There are 689 Anganwadi Centres and 31 Mini Anganwadi Centres throughout the Islands.
The main objectives of the ICDS are (1) To improve the nutritional and health status of children below the age of six years, pregnant and lactating mothers. (2) Lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child. (3) Reduce incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropouts. (4) Enhance capability of the mother to look after the children.
The main services provided under the scheme are (1) Supplementary Nutrition. (2) Growth Monitoring (3) Nutrition and Health Education (4) Immunisation (5) Referral services (6) Pre-school Education.
Anganwadi Services in Great Nicobar are provided under ICDS Tribal Project. There are 15 Anganwadi Centres in Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar.
All the 15 Anganwadi Centres are responsible for implementing the Supplementary Nutrition Programme. Supplementary Nutrition Programme aims to tackle malnutrition. SNP services are provided to target groups of Pregnant & Lactating Women and children aged between 7 months and 6 years.
In Great Nicobar the Supplementary Nutrition Programme is not implemented effectively. The responsibility of supplying ration for providing supplementary nutrition under ICDS TP at Great Nicobar has been given to two Self Help Groups namely Om Sakthi SHG and Neela SHG. Both these SHG’s are not providing the eligible quantity of ration to the respective Anganwadi Centres.
The Anganwadi Workers of Great Nicobar alleges that the respective SHG’s have been providing them rations in lesser quantities since a long time. The Anganwadi Workers further alleged that they have raised the issue of receiving ration in lesser quantities from the SHG’s with the Mukhya Sevika posted at Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar but nothing has been done so far.
Jaysudha, Anganwadi Worker from Govind Nagar Anganwadi Centre received a Memorandum from Child Development Project Officer, ICDS (TP) for writing the shortfall in quantity of ration received on the backside of the bill. The memo said that Jausudha had written the complaint of SNP Articles on the backside of the bill which has taken all the space and the billing clerk needs the space for official work after the verification of the bill by the Anganwadi Worker and the Mukhya Sevika. It was further mentioned that she may submit the items not received by her in a separate sheet and the Mukhya Sevika will deduct the ration items from the bill which has not been received by the Anganwadi Worker.
Anganwadi Workers according to the procedure has to verify the SNP Articles (ration) received by them from the SHG on a bill by placing their signature against the quantity received. The SHG’s as mentioned above supply ration is lesser quantity than what is mentioned in the bill, but asks the Anganwadi Worker to sign on bill which reflects that full quantity of ration as eligible has been received. Jaysudha wrote her remarks of not receiving the full quantity of ration by the SHG for which she was handed a memo. The question here is why should Anganwadi Workers affix their signatures on the bill reflecting quantity of ration received as per the eligibility in full, when in reality they received ration in lesser quantities. The second question here is that the bill is an official document and should reflect the exact quantity of ration received and Anganwadi Workers should be encouraged to sign the bill only when the exact quantity of ration is received rather than issuing a memo to them for highlighting the truth.
It is being alleged by the Anganwadi Workers that the Mukhya Sevika forces them to sign on false bills reflecting full quantity of ration received, whereas they receive rations is less quantity. They further informed Nicobar Times that several Anganwadi Workers in past have refused to sign the false bills, but they are mistreated by the Mukhya Sevika and pressure is built on them to sign the false bills.
The Anganwadi Workers also informed Nicobar Times that when they complain to the Mukha Sevika about the ration being supplied to them in lesser quantities by the SHG’s, they are asked to sign the bills and adjust by distributing the quantity of ration as received to the beneficiaries.
The nexus of the Self Help Groups and the Mukhya Sevika seems to be making a mockery of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme at Anganwadi Centres of Great Nicobar.
Nicobar Times visited three Anganwadi Centres and spoke to the respective Anganwadi Workers to investigate further into the allegations being made against the SHG’s and the Mukhya Sevika. We collected the data as available with the Anganwadi Workers in the respective Anganwadi Centres.
Name of the Anganwadi Centre: Babu Lane, Campbell Bay
Name of the Anganwadi Worker: Kunda Satish Jadav
Name of the SHG Supplying SNP Articles: Neela SHG
The following Table Shows, Month Wise Eligible Quantity of Ration and the Actual Quantity of Ration Supplied to the Anganwadi Centre.
| S.No | Name of the SNP Article | Eligible Quantity January & February | Received for January | Shortfall January | Received for February | Shortfall February | Eligible Quantity March | Received for March | Shortfall in March |
| 1 | Masoor Dal (kg) | 5.8 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0 |
| 2 | Moong Dal (kg) | 5.8 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0 |
| 3 | Moong Whole (kg) | 8 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0 |
| 4 | Soya Bean (kg) | 3.9 | Data Not Available With AWW | -NA- | Data Not Available With AWW | -NA- | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0 |
| 5 | Vegetable Oil (L) | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Ground Nut (kg) | 5.6 | 5.3 | 0.3 | 5.3 | 0.3 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Rajma (kg) | 9.9 | 9.3 | 0.6 | 9.3 | 0.6 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 0 |
| 8 | Eggs (Nos.) | 320 | 280 | 40 | 280 | 40 | 336 | 336 | 0 |
| 9 | Potato (kg) | 3.5 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0 |
| 10 | Onion (kg) | 1.5 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | Tetra Pack Milk (L) | 180 | 140 | 40 | 140 | 40 | 190 | 145 | 45 |
Name of the Anganwadi Centre: DSS Colony, Campbell Bay
Name of the Anganwadi Worker: Puspa Nilima Beck
Name of the SHG Supplying SNP Articles: Om Sakthi SHG
The following Table Shows, Month Wise Eligible Quantity of Ration and the Actual Quantity of Ration Supplied to the Anganwadi Centre.
| S.No | Name of the SNP Article | Eligible Quantity January | Received for January | Shortfall January | Eligible Quantity February & March | Received February | Shortfall February | Received for March | Shortfall in March |
| 1 | Masoor Dal (kg) | 3.4 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 3.5 | 3 | 0.5 | 3 | 0.5 |
| 2 | Moong Dal (kg) | 3 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 3.5 | 3 | 0.5 | 3 | 0.5 |
| 3 | Rajma (kg) | 5.5 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 6.5 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 5.3 | 1.2 |
| 4 | Moong Whole (kg) | 4.2 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 4.5 | 4.3 | 0.2 | 4.3 | 0.2 |
| 5 | Ground Nut (kg) | 3 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 3.2 | 0 | 3.2 | 0 | 3.2 |
| 6 | Egg (Nos.) | 176 | 150 | 26 | 200 | 192 | 8 | 193 | 7 |
| 7 | Jaggery (kg) | 7 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 8 | Tetra Pack Milk (L) | 95 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 105 | 95 | 10 | 95 | 10 |
| 9 | Amul Spray (kg) | 3 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | Soya Bean (kg) | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | -NA- | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| 11 | Vegetable Oil (L) | 1 | Data Not Available | -NA- | 3 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 0.5 |
| 12 | Onion (kg) | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | -NA- | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 13 | Potato (kg) | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | -NA- | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Name of the Anganwadi Centre: Marine Colony, Campbell Bay
Name of the Anganwadi Worker: Puspa Padma Jayanti
Name of the SHG Supplying SNP Articles: Om Sakthi SHG
The following Table Shows, Month Wise Eligible Quantity of Ration and the Actual Quantity of Ration Supplied to the Anganwadi Centre.
| S.No | Name of the SNP Article | Eligible Quantity January | Received for January | Shortfall January | Eligible Quantity February & March | Received February | Shortfall February | Received for March | Shortfall in March |
| 1 | Masoor Dal (kg) | 7.4 | 7 | 0.4 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 0 | 6.2 | 0 |
| 2 | Moong Dal (kg) | 7.4 | 7.4 | 0 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 0 | 6.2 | 0 |
| 3 | Moong Whole (kg) | 8.6 | 8.6 | 0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 7.5 | 0 |
| 4 | Jaggery (kg) | 15 | 15 | 0 | 11.5 | 0 | 11.5 | 0 | 11.5 |
| 5 | Vegetable Oil (L) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 |
| 6 | Ground Nut (kg) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 4.5 | 0 |
| 7 | Rajma (kg) | 11.8 | 11.8 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 8 | Egg (Nos.) | 376 | 376 | 0 | 352 | 352 | 0 | 352 | 0 |
| 9 | Amul Spray (kg) | 4 | 4 | 0 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | -NA- | Data Not Available | -NA- |
| 10 | Soya Bean (kg) | 4.9 | 4.9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 11 | Milk (L) | 192 | 132 | 60 | 175 | 66 | 109 | 66 | 109 |
| 12 | Potato (kg) | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | -NA- | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 13 | Onion (kg) | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | -NA- | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Rice (kg) | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | -NA- | 70.5 | 50 | 20.5 | 50 | 20.5 |
The data as received from all three Anganwadi Centres show considerable shortfalls in the quantity of ration received by the Anganwadi Centres for providing supplementary nutrition as against their eligible quantity.
Further Nicobar Times Received Pictures of some of the official documents showing the quantity of the SNP Article to be supplied which was signed by the Ex-Pradhan of GP Campbell Bay, K Raja. The term of the Panchayats in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have expired long ago last year. The documents which Nicobar Times received had to be signed by the Pradhan of the respective villages during supply of the items to the Anganwadi Workers by the SHG. The Pradhan has to verify the quantity and quality of the items and then affix the signature on the document. However the document was signed by K Raja, Ex-Pradhan, GP Campbell Bay even before the items were supplied. Further the documents are dated 04th of February 2021 and 22nd of Febuary 2021 but are still signed by K Raja whose term as Pradhan has expired last year. Further the signature by K Raja is also affixed against the row of the items supplied to DSS Colony Anganwadi Centre which falls under the jurisdiction of Govind Nagar Gram Panchayat.
It is interesting to note that the wife of K Raja, Ex-Pradhan, GP Campbell Bay is a member of Om Sakthi Self Help Group. The documents signed by K Raja without any authority were for supply of SNP Articles to Anganwadi Centres by Om Sakthi Self Help Group.
K Raja, Ex-Pradhan, GP Campbell Bay in gross overreach of his authority has signed the document for supply of SNP Article by the SHG in which his wife is a member, without even verifying the quantity and quality of the SNP articles supplied to the Anganwadi Centres.
K Raja further went a step ahead by signing against the row for SNP Articles being supplied to the Anganwadi Centre which is in a different Panchayat altogether.
The Anganwadi Workers confirmed to Nicobar Times that K Raja never visited their centre in the last 06 months to verify the quantity and quality of SNP Articles supplied to them, but his signatures were present on the bills brought to them for verifying and signing.
Ideally the documents in which K Raja has affixed the signatures should have been signed by the Special Officer appointed by the Administration for managing the affairs of the respective Panchayat after proper verification of the quantity of SNP Articles supplied by the SHG.
Nicobar Times further investigated and spoke to the Ex-Pradhan of Laxmi Nagar Gram Panchayat and Ex-Pradhan of Govind Nagar Gram Panchayat who informed us that the Mukya Sevika sends the documents for signing to all the Ex-Pradhans without inviting them for verifying the SNP articles supplied to the Anganwadis. The Ex-Pradhan have no authority to sign the official document verifying the SNP Articles supplied to the Anganwadi Centres since their terms have expired. The Pradhan of Laxmi Nagar Gram Panchayat also informed us that he had once refused to sign the documents verifying the SNP articles for Anganwadi under his jurisdiction, but the staffs sent by the Mukhya Sevika insisted that he must sign it.
The Mukhya Sevika here seems to have some ulterior motive behind getting the documents signed by the Ex-Pradhan, that too without inviting them for verification of the SNP Articles supplied to the Anganwadi Centres.
The beneficiaries of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme do not get the eligible quantity of SNP articles. It is very important that the pregnant and lactating women get the minimum required calories in form of a balanced meal. Further the children aged between 7 months and 6 years are in the most crucial stage of development and needs adequate nutrition for proper growth. The shortfall in the SNP articles supplied by the SHGs are passed on to the beneficiaries by the Anganwadi Workers.
Supplementary Nutrition Programme has been envisioned to provide adequate nutrition to the Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and the children in their most crucial growth phase but implementing it with supply of inadequate SNP Articles will not serve the purpose.
It seems that there is large scale corruption in the supply of SNP Articles by the Self Help Groups and they have the support of the officials responsible for monitoring the scheme. However Nicobar Times cannot establish whether the Mukhya Sevika is directly getting any benefit from the Self Help Groups for helping them in getting their bills passed for full quantity of SNP Articles eligible to be supplied to the Anganwadi Centres, when in reality there is huge shortfall every month in the articles being supplied.
When we closely looked at the data collected from the Anganwadi Centres it establishes that for the period between January and March there is regular shortfall in supply of Tetra Pack Milk to all the Anganwadi Centres. Tetra pack Milk is a relatively expensive commodity than other SNP Articles supplied to the Anganwadi Centres. Tetra pack milk is also commonly available in the markets of Great Nicobar and there should be no reason for not supplying the common commodity to the Anganwadi Centres in sufficient quantity. The data collected by Nicobar Times are only from three Anganwadi Centres, there are 15 Anganwadi Centres under Circle 3 of the ICDS TP and the supply of SNP Articles is irregular in almost all of them.
Even if 100 litres of milk is supplied in shortfall by one SHG to the Anganwadi Centres in a month, they will save a handsome amount of Rs. 6,000/- as they are paid Rs. 60/- per litre of milk by the department. In reality the shortfall in supply of milk is much greater than 100 litres per month.
Andaman and Nicobar Administration should ensure that the shortfall in supply of SNP Articles in Anganwadi of remote Islands are addressed and a through and strict mechanism should be developed with adequate checks and balances for proper implementation of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme.
Investigation should be launched against the officials and SHGs responsible for providing inadequate quantity of SNP Articles to the Anganwadi Centres in Circle 3 of ICDS TP by the Anti Corruption Unit of Andaman and Nicobar Police and the culprits should be booked under relevant law, if it is found that they are involved in corrupt activities.
Update:
Published on 14th April 2021
The Mukhya Sevika posted at Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar contacted Nicobar Times and presented her side of the story.
The Mukhya Sevika informed us that she has assumed the charge at Great Nicobar recently and ever since then she is constantly trying to improve the system of supply of SNP Articles to the Anganwadi Centres across Great Nicobar.
She further informed that, she is personally visiting the Anganwadi Centres during the time when the SHGs supply ration to the centres. She also informed us that she is ensuring that eligible quantity of SNP Articles are supplied to the Anganwadi Centres.
The Mukhya Sevika further informed us that she has never sent anyone to get signatures on the official documents from the Ex-Pradhan. She added that the documents are addressed to the SHGs and they are responsible for getting the signature from the respective Pradhans.
The Mukhya Sevika also blamed some Anganwadi Workers of not distributing SNP Articles properly to the beneficiaries. She has assured that she is improving the whole system.
There are still several unanswered questions and the Administration should order an investigation by an unbiased investigation agency so that the truth can come out and a proper system with adequate checks and balances can be established for supply of SNP Articles to the Anganwadi Centres and for its further distribution.