Report of Monitoring Team on “ Child Malnutrition in Malkangiri District”, Odisha

Report
of Monitoring Team on “Issues of Child Malnutrition and Food Security of Tribal
Children in Malkangiri District”

Introduction

Since  long, Right 
to Food Campaign, Odisha  has been
monitoring  implementation  of 
food security  programme and
issues  of child malnutrition  in tribal 
region of  Odisha. The
organization does not limit itself just preparing of Monitoring Report but
takes up series of advocacy efforts to fight out child malnutrition issues in
the state at appropriate level. The  organization has made series of reports  with  a
number of follow up activities  in
respect of its monitoring visit  to
different parts of the state  examining
issues of   Child Malnutrition  among Juang tribes in Nagada of Jajpur
district,  Child death in Malkangiri,
Child malnutrition among Kutia Kondh tribes of Kalahandi district , Child
Malnutrition among Paudi Bhuyan tribes in Banei area of Sundaragarh  district.

This  time, a 3-member Team of Right to Food Campaign, Odisha consisting of  Sri Pradip Pradhan, Sri Akhand and Sri  Sanjay Sahu 
had visited  Malkangiri  on 10^th and 12^th  of  November,
19  to 
study  the  Child malnutrition issues  in Naxal-infested  regions 
of the  district i.e., Cut-off
area of Chitrakunda Block and Bonda 
Hill  of Khairput block.   The  team visited 
  cut-off area 
on 10.11.19 and   Bonda Hill on 11.10.19  to gather 
information   about  status 
of  food security  situation of 
tribal children  and  implementation  of ICDS programme  and 
its  impact  on health and 
food security  of tribal children
and examine issues of child malnutrition in Malkangiri district. The Team
collected information while interacting with the people, GP functionaries and
Anganwadi workers etc. Our priority was to identify malnourished  child, understand  the problem / reason by interacting with the
parents,   gather all information from
AWCs and the beneficiaries about 
implementation of ICDS project 
which has mandate  to ensure  food security and check  malnutrition among the  children in the state.  This  is
one  of the most important food security
programme implemented  nook and corner of
the country.   

Details of  visit of
the Team

 Date =    10.11.19

Villages Visited –  
Jantapai and Paparamelta villages of Paparametla  Gram Panchayat   of
Chitrakunda Block.

The Team 
members  met Dibya Tarakhara,
Anganwadi worker of jantapai  AWC  and collected 
details of beneficiaries 
registered  in the centre.
These  are as follows.

During inspection of Anganwadi
Centre, the team came across Chhatua Packets (a delicious food mixture of
wheat, blackgram  and sugar), Sooji halua
Packet, Ground-nut Ladu which are 
supplementary nutritious food distributed for increasing nutritional
standard  of the beneficiaries. These
packets were examined and weighed in the presence of  villagers. The team members  observed low quality  of materials  
with  shortage  of materials 
in each packet.  The details of
packets are  as follows.

 Anganwadi Worker  expressed   
her  ignorance  about 
supply  of  shortage 
of items  in packet  but 
accepted  low  quality 
of  food items supplied. The beneficiaries
also complained  of low quality  of Chhatua 
provided to them. In paparametla 
village, the  P&T
beneficiaries  also  complained 
of irregular  supply  of 
Chhatua and egg  by Anganwadi
Centres. Anganwadi Worker  also  complained 
of less  quantity  of 
rice  supplied  by Transport Agent. She  said 
annual requirement  of rice  for her centre is  3.5 quintal. But Transport Agent  supplied 
7 packets  of rice ( each  bag is to be contained  50 kg rice 
which  is shortage of 3 kg ) . It
means  21 kg less rice  is supplied 
which is adjusted  by Anganwadi
Worker.

Visit  of Paparmetla village

During discussion with the
villagers mostly Pregnant  and lactating
woman, the Team   members received  a lot  
of complaints   about irregular
supply of Chhatua, Suji Halua  and egg. Priyatama
Khila, , Sabitri Pangi ( Mother of  3
months old baby ) , Subarna Khila ( Mother 
of 2 week new born baby) , Bati Khara ( Mother  of one year old baby)  complained 
of  only one packet  of Chhatua 
is given in stead of two pockets per month along with  occasionally 
given Suji Halua and Ladu in two to three  months 
by Anganawadi  worker.  Only 4 eggs instead of 8 eggs  is supplied . The team members  did not 
notice  any  malnourished 
child  in  both the 
villages. 

Date- 11.11.19

The Team visited  Bonda 
Hill, habitation of most Primitive vulnerable tribal groups  in the state. 
Hunger, food insecurity is extreme high in this  region. It is 
75 kms  from Malkangiri. The  Team 
visited  number  of villages 
of Mudulipada GP  and found  a number 
of children orphaned and malnourished. Anganwadi Centres are  badly 
managed. Food  items are  not 
properly  distributed.

In Bandhaguda village, the
team found four  half naked orphaned  children playing  along side 
road. Their  father  Lachhmi Dhangadamajhi  and 
Mother  Budai  Dhangadamajhi 
have expired two years back.  On
query about  who takes  care 
of children, the  villagers  said that 
the elder one 13 year old  girl
prepares  food  and takes 
care  of other three  children. They  get  
35 kg rice  under Antodaya Anna
Yojana ( AAY)  per month  which 
is the  only  food 
with  salt and green leaves.

In Bandiguda  village, 
the  team visisted  Anganwadi centre  and interacted  with Sarita Khirsani  about 
implementation of  ICDS  programme. The Team members  noticed 
2 year old malnourished  child ,
daughter  of Budai Khirsani, Mother.  On query  
why she  has not  been sent 
to NRC ( Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre),  the AWW replied  that 
Mother  is not  interested 
to carry her  baby for treatment.

The  Team members 
inspected  Chhatua and Suji Halua
packet  and tasted  Ladu 
which are  distributed  to the  
beneficiaries . It  was found
that  low quality and less  quantity 
of  food items  are 
distributed  to  the children 
which is  a big scam  in this area. There  is lack of 
monitoring at  every level.

The Team found Ladoo  was very low standard.

Badapada Village

The Anganwadi Centre   was 
found   under construction
for  years  together. 
The  centre  is running in verandah  of the 
villagers.  The Team faced  similar 
type of allegation  of supply  of less quantity  and low standard  of Chhatua. The  Team found 
a number  of  children 
malonourished  which  requires 
special attention

Details of  Malnourished 
children identified in Badapada village is as follows.

Findings

A.      ICDS
project is badly implemented and does not reach to the doorstep of the
people.  The beneficiaries are found
deprived of their entitlements.

B.      Effective
attention needs to be paid for enhancing nutritional standard of the children.

C.      Stern
action should be taken against the Women SHGs and other organizations for
supplying low quality   and less amount
of Chhatua.

D.      Lack
of proper monitoring is the biggest obstacles for effective implementation of
ICDS in the district.

Report prepared  by Pradip
Pradhan

Date-2.12.19