Lack of basic amenities in anganwadi:HC orders issue of notice

The Madras High Court bench here today ordered issue of notices to Central and State Governments on a petition seeking to provide basic facilities at the Anganwadi centres in the Tamil Nadu.
Justice M Jaichandran and Justice R Mahadevan issued the direction on a PIl filed by one C Anandtha Raj, which said as per the data of the Integrated Child Development Services for the year 2012-13, out of 54,439 anganwadi centres in the state less than only 50 per cent have facilities of water, toilets and storage bins.
Besides no health drink was provided to children in these centres, the PIL said.

The petitioner also wanted the court to give direction to the government to provide Rs lakh lakh compensation to the 5-year old girl Vennila who suffered burn injuries at the anganwadi centre in Meenakshipuram village in Tirunelveli.
In November 2013, a human rights organization 'Thozhamai' released its report about the poor condition of the anganwadi centres in the state. Based on it, the petitioner said he had visited some centres in the districts of Theni, Dindigul and Tirunelveli and came to know that the report was true, he said.