PM warns states on tardy child scheme progress

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a strongly worded letter to chief ministers, has taken states to task over the tardy implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

Putting the prime minister's office (PMO) at the centre of the scheme, he has asked for quarterly reports on the scheme's implementation.

Citing reports like that of the National Health and Family Survey and court orders, he has pointed out that nearly 11 crore children out of the 16 crore targeted have been left out of the programme. The scheme is aimed at children in the 0-6 age group.

The letter says that there is a need for greater political will in implementing the programme.

"My own reading of these reports and surveys lead me to believe that proper implementation of the programme critically depends on political will, decentralised monitoring and meticulous attention to day-to-day operational issues," he has said.

Singh goes on to add that unless problems are meticulously followed up, things like irregular functioning of anganwadi centres (AWCs), inability to provide hot, cooked food and leakage of food meant for infants, will persist.

"You may appreciate that there is a need to adequately empower panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies to monitor the working of these centres and to make the line officials firmly accountable for their actions," the letter says.

Praising Tamil Nadu for its implementation of the mid-day meal scheme, he said, "Some states, in particular Tamil Nadu, have managed to build in these features in their standard operating procedures. It would be useful to learn from their experiences."

He cautioned that unless steps like these were taken, the dream of universalising the scheme would remain just that.

The prime minister's concern on the ICDS is said to be a precursor to a general stock-taking of the government's development agenda. This is not the first such letter the prime minister has written to state governments, nor is it likely to be the last, PMO sources say.