John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Jan 21: Like many other regions of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Little Andaman Island is also witnessing huge delay in getting nutritious ration items for the Anganwadi centres, under ICDS scheme.
According to reports, since the last eight months no egg or milk have been distributed in the Little Andaman region. As per details, recently limited consignment dry ration items such as rice, oil etc were distributed to Anganwadi Centres of Little Andaman that too only for the month of December 2021 but the pending stocks of last eight months were not given.
These nutritious ration items are meant for children and pregnant women but due to such delay, clearly children and pregnant women are not getting sufficient nutrition, they deserve to get.
As per sources, the supply was stopped due to some issues in the procurement process. However, the supply and distribution of only dry ration items have again started in all Anganwadi centers in Andaman and Nicobar Districts from the past one week.
The distribution of dry ration items has been started in two Districts including South Andaman and North and Middle Andaman of A&N Islands, soon it will start in Nicobar District, sources informed Andaman Sheekha.
When contacted, a senior officer in the Social Welfare Department who doesn’t want his name to be quoted told Andaman Sheekha that they have once again started providing dry ration items to all the beneficiaries in A&N Islands under the scheme of ICDS.
The senior officer added that each district has a different tender for items like eggs and milk. In the NMA district, the ration item including eggs is being provided, whereas in South Andaman ration items without milk and eggs is being provided, as the rate of milk and eggs are not yet fixed.
“Soon the supply of Milk in South Andaman and NMA and supply of eggs in SA will be started once the tender process is completed,” he said.
The General Public however have raised serious concern over this delay as for issues in tender process and clerical delays, this is not justified to stop nutritious ration items, for children and women, that too for eight long months.
