PUNE The indefinite strike called by anganwadi workers in Maharashtra, demanding increased monthly honorarium and provision of pension has affected the distribution of supplementary nutritional food and monitoring of undernourished children in Pune.

The Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) is the main component of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to tackle malnutrition. These services are provided to the target groups of pregnant and lactating women and children between 0 to 6 years, particularly from the marginalised, vulnerable, and weaker sections of society.

Several children and lactating and expecting mothers enrolled at the anganwadis at Kothrud, Karve Nagar, and Bavdhan amongst others are being deprived of supplementary nutritional food, claim activists.

Social activists and citizens had approached the Women and Child Development (WCD) office in Kothrud demanding to immediately streamline the nutritional supplementary food distribution process as it affects children’s health. The group had also given a complaint to the Kothrud WCD office regarding the same.

Adv Amol Kale, social activist, said, that as the anganwadi workers who are on strike since December 4 last year have the responsibility of distributing supplementary nutritional food to the children and women registered with the WCD centre strike has badly affected the programme.

“This will affect the children’s health and may again push these children into the category of undernourishment. Some children and expecting mothers have even stopped going to the anganwadis. If the officials are unable to find a solution we can help them in the distribution process,” he, said.

Adv Kale further claimed the workers on strike are also threatening other staff on duty who are distributing the supplementary nutritional food and this is further affecting the programme.’

The WCD department officials, however, claim they are trying to reach out to the possible number of children.

Dileep Hivarale, head, WCD Kothrud region, said, we are trying to reach out to the maximum number of children to provide nutritional supplementary food in the absence of the nganwadi workers. “We are trying to ensure that no children are left deprived of the supplementary food due to the strike,” said Hivarale.