Sarpanches Empowered to Oversee Anganwadi Centers in Telangana

The Telangana state government has issued orders delegating the complete responsibility of monitoring Anganwadi Centers to the newly elected Sarpanches of Gram Panchayats. This decision was taken to strengthen the Anganwadi system and ensure transparency in the distribution of nutritional food, preventing any irregularities at the ground level. As per the new guidelines, special committees will be formed for each Anganwadi center with the Sarpanch acting as the Chairman. This 11-member committee will include the Anganwadi teacher as the convener, along with an ANM, a school science teacher, a retired employee, and mothers of the children enrolled at the center. The committee's primary duty is to conduct monthly inspections of the supplies delivered to the centers, including rice, pulses, Balamrutham, eggs, and milk, to ensure their quality and proper distribution. Furthermore, they will monitor the implementation of the Arogya Lakshmi scheme, specifically the meals provided to pregnant and lactating women. This move comes after the government identified that supervision had weakened over the past two years due to the absence of elected bodies in villages, leading to the diversion of essential nutritional resources.