For the last few days, 20 children of the anganwadi at Khaji Mohalla in Alur town have been sitting under a tree and learning their lessons. Even their food, supplied by the Department of Women and Child Development, is being given to them there.
The reason: the anganwadi is located inside a rented building that has an asbestos sheet roofing. Instead of keeping them indoors where it was too hot, the teacher thought the children would enjoy the fresh air outside.
“The rented building is a small structure with cement sheet roofing. The teacher felt that children would be more comfortable outside during the summer,” said A.T. Mallesh, Child Development Programme Officer of Alur taluk.
The department has fixed as Rs. 200 a month as rent for anganwadis in Alur taluk. “It is impossible to get a good building for Rs. 200. Of the 178 anganwadis in Alur taluk, 17 are functioning in rented buildings,” he said.
The officer said he had written to the Block Education Officer of Alur requesting him to allot a room in the Government Urdu School in Khaji Mohalla for the anganwadi . “I have visited the school and it has enough rooms. If the Education Department allots one room, we will shift the anganwadi to the school,” he said.
