Cuttack, Aug 16 (PTI) Odisha government admitted before Orissa High Court today that it was aware that the Anganwadi Center (AWC) at Ranpur in Nayagarh district, where at least seven children died due to wall collapse last month, was running in a dilapidated building. Nayagarh collector Saroj Kanta Choudhury submitted the affidavit to the HC in response to PILs which alleged that the government was aware of the poor infrastructure of the AWC. But the AWC was allowed to function ignoring warnings which led to the tragedy, the PIL said demanding criminal proceedings against the erring officials. The collector told the court that the school headmistress and ICDS supervisors have already been suspended and the government was considering action against the child development project officer as the technical consultants had earlier declared the building unsafe but no step was taken to demolish the dilapidated building. The affidavit said there are about a thousand AWCs in the district and out of the 240 centers in Ranpur block only two centers have their own buildings while the rest have makeshift arrangements. The affidavit said following last months mishap a joint team of officials drawn from different departments have verified every Anganwadi center and none are now operating in any unsafe building. It also said Rs one lakh had been given to the families of each child dead in the incident from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund and State Red Cross Society and Rs 10,000 from District Red Cross Society. Besides, the concerned families have also been included under Mo Kudia yojna, a housing scheme of the state government. MORE
