ZP to probe into poor quality food in Anganwadi centres

DHNS

Mangalore, 24 June 2010: The Zilla Panchayat meet held here on Wednesday has resolved that the Social Justice Standing Committee should conduct an inquiry into the allegations of poor quality of food being supplied to Anganwadi centres in the district. 

 
The decision came in the wake of objections raised by Mangalore MLA U T Khader and other ZP members with regard to the issue. Khader alleged that the Christy Fried Gram Industries was supplying food, which has short expiry validity. The food gets expired within a short period after it was supplied to anganwadis, he said and urged that ZP should conduct an inquiry and submit a report at the earliest.

Khader said that children in most of the anganwadis do not consume the same food since it has no quality. However, anganwadis were forced to accept the food even though it was not used there, he added.

The Social Justice Standing Committee will act as the inquiry committee and visit four centres, where food is being packed and dispatched and also visit anganwadis in the district. Social Justice Standing Committee Chairman Venkat Dambekodi said that they will exert efforts to table the report in the next ZP general meet.

Govt schools ignored

Member in the opposition A C Bhandary alleged that the Zilla Panchayat is helping the private school lobby by ignoring the government schools. The quality of education in most of the government schools has been decreased due to lack of sufficient number of teachers.

Another member from Congress Mamatha Gatti said that children in some villages have to walk atleast 2 kilometers to reach the nearest Higher Primary Schools.

Responding to the issue, ZP CEO P Shivashankar said that due to shortage of students,
the ZP could not build schools in some remote villages. However, about 1,057 classrooms were built in the district over a period of 10 years.

Mamatha Gatti further pointed out that government has failed to distribute textbooks to private schools even after three weeks of the commencement of academic year. Deputy Director of Public Instructions Chamegowda said that 60 per cent of the textbooks have already been arrived and the rest of the consignment will reach within eight days. He assured that books will be distributed to all private schools soon.

Salary hike for teachers

Member Aziz Malar demanded that the teachers and principals of Morarji Desai Residential Schools, who were appointed through Nehru Yuva Kendra, should also be given salary hike on par with Karnataka Residential Education Institute Society (KRIES).
He said that while teachers and principals residential schools were paid Rs 8,500 and Rs 11,000 respectively, those who were selected through Nehru Yuva Kendra were paid only Rs 6,000 and 8,000 respectively.

Answering the query, CEO Shivashankar said that a decision in this regard will be taken by the KRIES.

Action against officials

Sucharitha Shetty urged that the ZP should initiate departmental action against those Horticulture Department officials, who are involved in a recent case of dumping of pesticides and fertilisers in the well.

ZP President Santhosh Kumar Bhandary, Standing Committee Chairpersons Sadanand Malli and Rajashri Hegde were present.

Rs 111 cr plan for 2010-11

An action plan of Rs 111.72 crore, which include Rs 74.07 crore State zone and Rs 37.65 crore Central zone, has been prepared for the year 2010-2011. Meanwhile, Rs 233.19 crore has been marked under the non-planned expenditure programme for the same year.  While the demand for integrated district development for the year 2010-11 is Rs 373.79 crore, the sanction required for the year 2011-12 is Rs 451.76 crore.