An anganwadi centre in Melaghar has been operating without a dedicated teacher for the past four months, prompting authorities to assign a worker from a nearby centre to manage both facilities. The arrangement, however, has reportedly affected pre-school education and daily activities at both centres.
The issue has surfaced from Madhucharan Para in Dasrathbari ADC Village under the jurisdiction of Melaghar police station. According to local residents, two anganwadi centres function within a radius of nearly one kilometre — one at Madhucharan Para and another at Pal Para.
Villagers alleged that the Banka Bari anganwadi centre has remained without a regular worker for the past four months due to what they termed an administrative lapse in the Social Welfare and Social Education Department. In the absence of a full-time teacher, the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) office in Melaghar reportedly directed Pushparani Debnath, the anganwadi worker at Pal Para, to oversee operations at both centres.
Residents claim that managing two centres simultaneously has created significant practical challenges. They said regular teaching, nutritional distribution, and other child-centric activities are being hampered as one individual cannot be physically present at both locations at the same time.
“One person cannot effectively run two anganwadi centres in a single day. The children’s learning process is bound to suffer,” a local villager remarked.
Efforts to obtain comments from officials of the Social Welfare and Social Education Department were unsuccessful.
Villagers have urged the department to expedite the appointment process and post a regular anganwadi worker at the Banka Bari centre without further delay to ensure uninterrupted educational and welfare services for enrolled children.
