Nagpur: Expressing concern over children attending classes in unsafe and crumbling structures, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the condition of anganwadi centres in Saoner municipality and directed that a PIL be filed within two weeks.A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode passed the order after taking note of media reports highlighting the shortage of anganwadi centres and the deteriorating state of existing facilities in Saoner town. The bench appointed advocate Ashwini Aathle as amicus curiae and directed her to prepare and submit an appropriate petition before the registry within the stipulated time.Under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, anganwadi centres are meant to provide pre-school education, supplementary nutrition and basic healthcare services to children and mothers. However, reports before the court suggested that several centres in the municipal area are either inadequate in number or operating in unsafe conditions.Official data shows that a total of 215 anganwadi centres are functioning across Saoner taluka under zilla parishad’s women and child welfare dept. While the rural areas under the panchayat samiti appear to have comparatively better infrastructure and implementation of nutrition and welfare schemes, the situation within the municipal limits of Saoner is markedly different.According to norms, wards with a population ranging from 600 to 1,500 should have at least 12 to 15 anganwadi centres. However, only six centres are currently functioning in the town, raising concerns about access to early childhood services for a large number of beneficiaries.Four anganwadis located in Chinchpura, Matakhedi, Satwa Mata Mandir and Phelepar areas are operating from rented private premises. In contrast, two centres in Old Gujarkhedi and Nag Mandir are situated on govt land but were described as being in a precarious condition.The building at Old Gujarkhedi reportedly developed cracks in its roofing and lacked basic safety infrastructure, including a protective compound wall and a proper electricity connection. Despite Gujarkhedi being included within the municipal limits and officials inspecting the site earlier, repair or reconstruction work is yet to begin.Taking note of seriousness of the issue, particularly the safety of young children attending these centres, the court observed that the situation warranted immediate judicial attention.
