A couple of days after the staff involved in the National Rural Livelihoods Mission exercise faced resistance in providing information fearing its link to National Register of Citizens, the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) too are facing the heat during their survey of houses.
Nearly 1,300 ANMs in Dakshina Kannada are involved in the household survey for ‘Nagarikarige Ondu Savalu’ programme. It identifies the best house and a government building each in a gram panchayat in terms of measures taken to prevent vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya.
Each ANM has to visit 100 houses in her area with a set of 13 questions relating to steps taken to prevent breeding of vector carrying mosquitoes. They are asked to note the mobile number of the house owner, his/her Aadhaar number, and signature.
The ANMs have to finish the survey this month and submit a report to the concerned Medical officer of the Primary Health Centre.
An officer overseeing the work said that for the last few days a section of people are objecting to giving information to ANMs fearing their link to NRC and NPR.
Messages have been circulated through Whatsapp asking people not to give any documents to Anganwadi workers, accredited social health activists and not receive any pamphlets or notices. People are asked not to sign any document, allow them to be photographed or give their mobile numbers.
The ANMs faced resistance in Sajipa, Ira and Bengre areas in Mangaluru taluk. On Thursday, an ANM reported of a threat of assault by a group from Paladka near Moodbidri if she did not return to them the book containing details she has collected. Similar resistance is faced by ANMs from Shirtady and Manchi villages of the Dakshina Kannada.
Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat R. Selvamani said a couple of incidents related to ANMs have come to his notice. “Collecting information about the household is among the duties assigned to Anganwadi workers, ASHA and ANMs. There is no need people to be apprehensive. We will shortly issue clarification,” Mr. Selvamani told The Hindu .
