Sunday, 29 October 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Women Empowerment and Child Development (WECD) department has directed the district programme officers to issue reimbursement for transportation to the Anganwadi workers as part of the take-home ration programme. The director and additional secretary of WECD Prashant Arya said that in response to the Anganwadi workers’ recent requests for transportation expenses under the take-home ration scheme, instead of providing direct transport expenses, WECD has directed the district programme officers to issue reimbursements for transportation costs. To claim these reimbursements, workers must submit the relevant expense receipts, he added.
It will be recalled that the Anganwadi workers have been persistently demanding an increase in their beneficiary rates. Commenting on this matter, Arya said that to increase the beneficiary rates, the Anganwadi workers must make efforts to increase the number of children admitted to the Anganwadi centres.
The president of Anganwadi Workers Association Rekha Negi told this correspondent that the WECD must issue the instructions to the district programme officer regarding the reimbursement for transportation in writing. Previously, the WECD had claimed that Anganwadi workers could request transportation expenses, with the amount being Rs 100 per quintal for one kilometre. However, this was not implemented in the State, she claimed. Negi said that if the WECD is unwilling to cover transport expenses under take-home ration, other options can also be explored. She emphasised that in order to check transport expenses, Anganwadi children can be provided with additional rice and wheat from fair-price shops. Regarding the increase in admission rate at Anganwadi centres Negi said it would be quite challenging to convince parents to send their children to Anganwadi centres nowadays, as most parents prefer to send their children to English medium schools.
