Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 23: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State spokesperson, Altaf Thakur today said that Anganwadi workers and helpers are being exploited for their vested interests by some political leaders.
Thakur appealed Anganwadi workers and helpers to shun the protests and return to their work, and not fall prey to the vested interests or some trade union leaders.
Thakur said that Government has taken two important decisions for the welfare of Anganwadi workers and helpers and also providing proper nutrition to children- who are considered as the future of the nation.
Anganwadi workers and helpers are protesting against the State Administrative Council (SAC) decision to disbursement of honorarium to them under ICDS scheme through Gram Panchayats and ‘decentralized policy for procurement of Supplementary Nutrition’ under the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) Scheme.
“This will bring transparency, accountability and greater involvement of community in the implementation of the nutrition scheme. And at the same time it will help to put an end to black marketing of Anganwadi supplies,” Thakur said.
Thakur also said that under the policy procurement of nutrition items will have to be strictly as per recipe menu displayed in the Anganwadi Centres and to be preferably procured from Super Bazaar/Cooperative Stores/Fixed Price Shops/Registered Local Shop keepers on the rates not exceeding the rates notified by FCS&CA.
“The new policy has been framed as per the delegation of powers of Panchayati Raj Institutions under the amended Panchayati Raj Act. Under the revised policy, supplementary nutrition shall be procured at Halqa Panchayat/Municipal Ward level,” he added.
Thakur further said that this decision was taken based on suggestions of all the stakeholders and analysis of procurement models followed in different States particularly in the States of Kerala, Uttarakhand and Odisha.
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