New Delhi March 24: The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in which Central Government is responsible for Policy and Programme Planning and States/ UTs are responsible for the implementation of the Scheme including procurement, supply and management of supplementary nutrition at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). States/ UTs are required to provide supplementary nutrition to children (6 months to 6 years) and pregnant women & lactating mothers for 300 days in a year as per the schematic nutritional norms of the scheme.
As per information available, the States/UTs of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Puducherry are providing over 21 days of SNP. Rest of the States/UTs are providing less than 21 days SNP indicating disruption. From the above reports and during visits instances of disruptions and deficiencies in SNP by the States such as in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Uttarakhand have been detected and brought to the notice of the respective State Government for remedial measures and action. In addition, any complaint received by the Government is referred to the concerned States/ UTs for appropriate action in the matter.
Further, the Government has also introduced 5-tier monitoring & review mechanism at National, State, District, Block and Anganwadi Levels for which guidelines were issued on 31.03.2011. Under these guidelines, the District and Block level Committees is to be constituted to closely monitor inter-alia quality of supplementary nutrition, regularity of functioning of AWCs, etc. and Anganwadi level Committee is required to review and take as well as suggest actions to improve delivery of services including status of supply of supplementary food to all beneficiaries for at least 21 days in a month at the AWC etc.
The revised rates would follow the phased implementation over the 3 years of the Strengthened and Restructured ICDS on the existing cost sharing ratio of 50:50 between the Centre and the States other than NER where it will continue to be on 90:10 basis.
This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.(SP News)
