VALPOI: Despite having a building of its own, the Anganwadi in Keri is running in a rented house.

A building to house the Anganwadi was built in Keri in 2012. After its completion, the PWD official had handed over the building to the Sattari Child Development Project officer Nanaya Priolkar.

However, on taking possession of the building, Priolkar found that the building was incomplete, as such, she handed its possession back to PWD with a request to complete the pending works on the building.

Since then and until her retirement, Priolkar says, she had many times reminded the PWD to complete the pending works on the building. 

When contacted, the new Child Development Project officer said that she did not know the current status of the building.

The building owner charges monthly rent of Rs 1,500 of which the Child Development Project Department pays Rs 200 and Keri Panchayat pays Rs 100. The remaining Rs 1,200 is paid by the Anganwadi teacher from her own pocket. Since the last five years the Anganwadi teacher has spent around Rs 70,000 on rent, from her own pocket.