HC sets December 31 deadline for augmenting infrastructure at anganwadi centres

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday directed the state government to ensure electricity supply and fans at anganwadi centres by December 2021. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka directed the authorities to connect 14,948 centers with electricity and 18,974 centres with fans.

The court was hearing a suo motu petition on the issue of providing infrastructure to anganwadi centres in the state. In respect to construction of toilets in the anganwadi centres, the bench said that insofar as 3,524 centres there will not be any impediment since the centres are in government buildings.

The court directed the state government to commence construction of toilets in these centres and complete it by December 31, 2021. The bench has granted time till June 30, 2022 to construct toilets in remaining centres.

Pointing out the observations made by the committee headed by Justice A N Venugopala Gowda, retired judge of the High Court, the court said the condition of anganwadi centres in the state “appears to be far from being satisfactory.” The report of the committee had stated severe shortage of staff at anganwadi centres. As per the report, 1,448 posts of anganwadi workers and 2,188 posts of helpers are vacant across the centres in the state.

“Successful and efficient functioning of anganwadi has direct nexus with the constitutional obligation of the state government under the provision of The National Food Security Act,” the bench said.

In the previous hearing the state government had informed the court that out of 65,911 anganwadi centres in the state, 14,948 centers lack electricity connection,18,974 centers do not have fans and 13,690 centers require toilets.

In an additional affidavit, the state government said that around 6,700 anganawadi centers will be provided with electricity, 8,300 centers with fans and 3,524 centers with toilets, with funds available. The government said that work on the construction of toilets in 1,700 centers housed in government buildings will be taken up after obtaining permission from the Finance department.