Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sumit Mullick has directed the Woman and Child Development Department to withdraw a government resolution (GR) of October 16 which seeks to exempt Anganwadi Sevikas from additional work under the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut
Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sumit Mullick has directed the Woman and Child Development Department to withdraw a government resolution (GR) of October 16 which seeks to exempt Anganwadi Sevikas from additional work under the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Aahar Yojana.
The WCD Department had issued the GR without consulting the parent Tribal Welfare Department. The WCD Department is headed by BJP minister Pankaja Munde, while the Tribal Welfare portfolio is handled by her senior party colleague Vishnu Savra.
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Speaking to reporters here today, Mullick said, "I have asked the WCD Department to cancel the GR as they didn'tconsult the Tribal Development Department before issuing it. When asked for her reaction, Minister for Woman and Child Development Pankaja Munde said she was not aware of the development.
"I am not aware of the meeting at the chief secretary's office. Even my department's secretary is on leave. So I cannot comment on the issue," said Munde. She however added that as the issue concerned her department, no need was felt to consult the Tribal Development Department.
The WCD Department, in its GR, had stated that Anganwadi (pre-primary schools in tribal areas) workers should not be asked to do any additional work such as cooking food for pregnant and lactating mothers living in tribal areas.
Under the scheme, pregnant or lactating tribal women are supposed to get a free meal every day during the duration of pregnancy and six months in post-pregnancy period. The scheme, launched in November 2015, is being implemented in 16 districts with a sizable tribal population.
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