It’s been years that over 25 per cent of the anganwadis operating in Sattari taluka lack electricity and toilet facilities.
Currently, there are around 106 anganwadis operating in Sattari taluka. Of these, 52 are functioning from government premises and the remaining 54 from rented premises.
The government pays Rs 200 per month as rent to the anganwadi operating in the rural areas, and Rs 750 in urban areas.
Most anganwadis operate from private premises and as such the landlords and the owners have refused to provide NOC to develop the space with the above mentioned basic facilities.
Nanaya Priolkar, Child Development Project Officer, Sattari taluka feels that if the government provides unused premises such as government primary schools, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan rooms or any government quarters, then we can provide the much needed infrastructure for the anganwadis across the state.
“We don’t need chairs and digital facilities in theses anganwadis. By sitting on floor we can provide better facilities to kids in theses anganwadis provided that if we are given a decent space to operate from,” Priolkar continued.
“To our disadvantage, the anganwadis have been operating from rented premises and the conditions in these premises are such that there is no electricity, toilets and on most occasions we are faced with water shortage,” says an anganwadi teacher.
“At present we have a curriculum for the Anganwadis. And as such we have 12 projects per month and have been training all anganwadi workers in this regard,” informed Priolkar
Another teacher said “Children are the most affected as they feel uncomfortable in these anganwadis operating from a rented premises as they lack toilet facilities. We are left with no other option but to send them out into the open place to answer nature’s call.”
In Goa, the first Anganwadi project started in 1978, in Bicholim followed by another in Sattari taluka from 1981-82.
“Of the 106 anganwadis, around 31 lack electricity, so we have requested the Director of Women and Child development and the Executive engineer Division IV of the Electricity Department regarding the power problem”, Nanaya Priolkar informed.
