Mangalore: Supply of Expired Protein Food to Anganwadi Children Raises Concern
 
Pics: Prajwal Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (RS/SP)
 
Mangalore, Jun 2: It was found that many of the food packets that were meant for being distributed to the children of Anganwadi centres, were past their utility period. The fact that food packets that were past their expiry dates were found stored in an Anganwadi at Angaragundi near Jokatte on Monday June 1, brought to the fore the callous attitude of the officials of the women and child development department apart from the officers of the Child Development Project.
 
The utter negligence of the department came out in the open, after the members of Democratic Youth Front of India (DYFI) produced samples of the protein food they collected from the said Anganwadi, before the additional deputy commissioner of the district, Prabhakar Sharma. The DYFI members demanded for a detailed inspection of such irregularities in all the Anganawadi centres in the district.
 
The protein food which was supplied to the children bore the expiry date of 1-3-2009. However, these packets were supplied to the Anganwadi centres in the month of May.  The packets clearly said they were to be used within 90 days from the date of manufacture.

When the DYFI members complained about the findings to Prabhakar Sharma, he immediately ordered the officials to conduct an enquiry. But when the officials of the food and civil supplies and the child development departments visited the storage rooms in Ashoknagar and another one near Valencia in the city, they could find total disorder, even though no expired food was found to have been stored.  Officials in those offices failed to give satisfactory replies for the queries raised by the visiting officials who had been deputed to inspect the stocks.
 
Shakuntala, deputy director of women and child department said, she would be submitting a report about the inquiry and find out the officials who are guilty of this irregularity. 
 
When the officials and the media visited the storage room in Ashok Nagar, the room was found to be in a haphazard condition, with the food storage norms having been completely neglected. The rice which is supposed to be supplied to the children was found scattered on the floor, duly mixed with dust and worms.    
 
Muneer Katipalla said, the supply of the food which is past its utility to the children has exhibited total negligence, and is proof to the fact that the officials who supply the protein food to the Anganawadi do not take care. He also said that the officials had shifted the stock of the protein food elsewhere, after becoming aware that they could be held accountable.
 
Prabhakar Sharma said, the complaint is genuine, considering the need to take care of the health of the children. "We will be issuing an order for conducting a thorough investigation on the protein food supply in across the district," he said.
 
DYFI members informed the media that they will go ahead and check all the Anganawadi centres in district. They have also urged the concerned to take strict action against the guilty.