Odisha reviews safety of anganwadi buildings

July 10, 2012 | Politics | Written by

Bhubaneswar, July 10 IANS) Odisha Tuesday sought information from all districts on the safety of the buildings of the state-run anganwadi centres after seven minors were killed when a wall of a centre collapsed in Nayagarh district the day before.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked the collectors of all 30 districts to submit a report by July 25, an official in the chief minister office told IANS.

Patnaik also ordered the collectors to shift the children to safer places immediately if they found any centre to be unsafe, he said.

The state government issued the direction after the wall collapse in Suansia village Monday when 11 minors, aged between three-six years, and three adults were inside. While the three children died on the spot, four others died in hospital.

The government suspended two anganwadi workers and the headmistress of a school in the incident and ordered an administrative probe. It also announced a compensation of Rs.1 lakh for each of the families of those killed.

The state has about 71,000 anganwadi centres and more than half of them do not have their own buildings, the official added.

In the Anganwadi centres, the government provides early childhood care and pre-school education. The district headquarters of Nayagarh is about 90 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

–Indo-Asian New Service

jd/rah/vm

IANS