Lucknow,

30 March (HS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a scathing

assault on the Samajwadi Party on Monday, stating that the state's provision of

supplemental nourishment was controlled by a big mafia before 2017.

The chief minister questioned the previous system, saying, Who distributed

this nutrition before 2017? It was the largest mafia in north India, with

government contracts in exchange for money, and he had complete control. Addressing

a ceremony organized to deliver cellphones and appointment letters to Anganwadi

staff and volunteers, Adityanath said that a booze mafia had entered the Women

and Child Development Department, affecting even nutrition supply formulas. I wasn't expecting it. The recipes were

settled upon by the same mafia. Supplies would arrive in certain locations but

not in others.

The BJP

leader said that the product was of such bad quality that it was unsafe for

human consumption. Adityanath linked the issue to malnutrition, claiming that

such behaviors contributed to Uttar Pradesh's classification as a BIMARU state.

When infancy is starved, the state is doomed to stay undeveloped, he claimed. The

chief minister accused past administrations of plundering the rights of the

poor, hungry children, and mothers, claiming that similar groups today cause

disruption through sloganeering. Adityanath highlighted recruiting

improvements, claiming that the present method for appointing anganwadi workers

and assistants is transparent. I promise that no anganwadi worker or assistance

had to seek referrals or pay money. Is this achievable before 2017? he asked.

He said

that the system formerly relied on parchi and kharchi (recommendation

and bribery), which he said had been removed. Those who worked hard could not

pay or obtain referrals, which is why such consultations were previously

unavailable, he explained. The chief minister noted that the distribution of

employment letters was not a new effort, stating, Last year, we

distributed appointment letters to 19,424 anganwadi workers and 3,077 helpers,

and we received no complaints. Adityanath stated that anganwadi centres

will soon experience a noticeable metamorphosis, and that if anganwadi centres

became modern, so should workers' honorariums. He went on to say that the

department has been asked to schedule training as soon as possible and to make

a proposal to increase honorariums.

He also

stated that the government has established a firm to handle outsourced people

beginning in April. Previously, most outsourcing firms were operated by mafia

or political individuals that abused employees. The government would pay Rs

10,000 to 12,000, but the workers would only receive Rs 5,000 to 6,000, he

claimed.

He also

laid the groundwork for many infrastructural projects totaling over Rs 450

crore targeted at improving child development services in the state. The

initiative included the delivery of smartphones to 69,804 Anganwadi workers and

supervisors, more than two lakh growth tracking devices, and appointment

letters to 18,440 Anganwadi workers and assistants. In addition, 3,170

Anganwadi center structures and 140 Child Development Project Office buildings

were inaugurated or had foundation stones set at the occasion.

Adityanath

described the move as a long-awaited scheme, stating that efforts were being

made to guarantee that every Anganwadi worker is supplied with a smartphone. Adityanath

emphasized the difficulty of real-time data reporting by frontline women

workers, which is sometimes hampered by a lack of digital connectivity, saying

that providing cellphones and sufficient training in their usage is crucial. The

BJP leader also emphasized the extension of their function, since the National

Education Policy 2020 envisions pre-primary education for children aged 3-5

years at Anganwadi centers. He stated that numerous such facilities were also

established as part of the scheme, and that around 27,000 centers previously

run under the basic education system are now available to the Anganwadi

network.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi