Social Welfare feeding poison to Anganwari kids
Food samples in all 10 medical blocks found adulterated in Budgam
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
Parents of hundreds of children at 1500 Anganwari Centres in Budgam district had been crying hoarse since beginning of the current year that substandard and adulterated supplies were being received by officials and delivered at AW centres. According to them, nutrients and food components were being circulated to over 30,000 children without any examination or analysis by the experts.
In the face of a public outcry, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Budgam directed all the 10 Block Medical Officers in April to pick up random samples at different AW centres and get them examined by food analysts. Since the overwhelming complaints mentioned three particular items, authorities collected samples of only Priya Gold biscuits, turmeric powder and skimmed milk. Within days, Public Analyst at Public Health Laboratory, Dalgate, alerted the concerned Food Inspectors and BMOs that all the samples analysed had been found adulterated and harmful for human consumption.
BMO Magam wrote to Project Officer ICDS Narbal vide letter No: BMOM/3536-39 Dated 15-07-2011: “The sample was sent to Public Analyst, Public Health Lab Dalgate Srinagar for analysis and the said sample was declared adulterated vide report No: PFAK/Legal/2161 Dated 06/07/2011, copy of which is enclosed herewith”.
He added: “It is therefore requested to your goodself that to communicate complete information within 07 days regarding name and address of the supplier/distributor/manufacturer alongwith bill/invoice who has supplied the adulterated spray dried milk Madhusagar brand to ICDS-CDPO Narbal. The matter may be taken as most urgent so that the sanction of prosecution is obtained under section-20 of PFA Act-1954”.
Public Analyst Hamidullah Dar observed different impurities and adulterations in others samples including biscuits (Priya Gold) and turmeric powder. Vide a number of reports, all in possession of Early Times, he alerted all BMOs in Budgam district that the food items being consumed by young children at AW centres had been found adulterated and were dangerous for human consumption.
Even as the Public Analyst, CMO Budgam and different BMOs asked Project Officers of all 8 ICDS blocks to immediately stop the supplies and remove all those already delivered at AW centres, officials of Social Welfare Department did not act until sizable quantities were fed to the children in the months of April, May, June and July. Later, the left-over supplies were removed in the months of July and August. Even the analysis procedure at the Public Laboratory took three to four weeks in absence of persuasion from Social Welfare Department.
One of such communications from Legal Health Authority Nagam, Chadoura, vide No: BMO/N 1065-67 Dated 25-07-2011, made it clear to CDPO Nagam/Chadoura that the supplies were harmful: “The Analyst reports of the food samples found adulterated by Public Analyst Kashmir Province. In this connection, you are as such directed to instruct your Anganwari Workers to stop consumption of adulterated food stuff which are not fit for human consumption and prevent any untoward incident in the area”.
BMO Chattergam wrote a similar letter, No; LHA/BCH/24-27 Dated 09-08-2011, to Project Officer ICDS BK Pora, Chattergam.
Officials at Directorate of Health Services Kashmir revealed to this newspaper that a large number of children developed multiple complicacies allegedly due to consumption of adulterated food items at AW centres and most of them were treated either locally at home or at different dispensaries, PHCs and District Hospital of Budgam. However, a separate record of such cases was not maintained.
Sources said that CMO Budgam finally asked Assistant Controller Food of Drug & Food Control Organisation, vide his No: CMOB/2355-56 Dated 19-08-2011, to take legal action against the delinquent suppliers. He, however, did not call for identification of the culpability of the officials of Social Welfare Department whose complicity or careless had led to passage of adulterated supplies to AW stores/ centres and finally consumption by young children.
Director Social Welfare Department, Kashmir , Hilal Ahmad Parray, as well as Programme Officer ICDS Budgam district, Nazir Ahmad Khwaja, maintained that “some items at some centres” had been found adulterated which, according to them, were “removed and replaced immediately”. Officials of Health and Social Welfare departments held each other responsible for verification of the standards of the nutrition items before their passage to AW centres. DC Budgam happens to be the Chairman of District Level Purchase Committee (DLPC) and Programme Officer is the Member/Secretary of the flagship central scheme in social welfare sector.
DC Budgam, Mohammad Rafi, admitted that there was no foolproof system to pre-examine the supplies before their delivery at AW centres. He said that as Chairman of the DLPC his responsibility was limited to procurement of supplies from genuine and reputed suppliers. The job of examining the quality and quantity of the supplies, according to him, was that of the officials of Social Welfare Department.
With everybody passing the buck and the Food & Drug Control Organisation sleeping over the serious matter, Minister incharge Social Welfare, Sakeena Itoo, told Early Times that she would call for a detailed report from Director and District Officer and accordingly initiate necessary legal and departmental action in the serious lapse. “I’m already seized of the matter and I have asked my subordinate officers to send me a detailed report. If anybody is found responsible of lapse or indulgence in corruption, I will take strict action”, she asserted.
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