The minister was reacting to reports that the workers at an Anganwadi or Rural Childcare Centre in Shivpuri district of the state were found to be cooking midday children's meals inside a bathroom.
"You should understand that a partition exists there. These days even in our homes, we have attached latrine-bathrooms. What if our relatives refuse to eat in our house saying that we have an attached latrine-bathroom?" asked Imarti Devi, news agency ANI reported.
Throwing hygiene to wind, the workers at the Childcare Centre had converted a bathroom into a kitchen to cook food for children and a storeroom for grains and vessels.
Madhya Pradesh: Toilet of an Anganwadi centre in Karera, Shivpuri being used as a makeshift kitchen. District Officer,Women&Child programme says "A self help group had taken control of toilet & were using it as a kitchen. Action being taken against Anganwadi supervisor & workers" pic.twitter.com/b9IwO1zlSk
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2019
The minister promised to order an inquiry into the Shivpuri case if the workers had violated norms.
Anganwadi or Childcare Centres are major government social welfare programs for early childhood care and development, allowing mothers to break the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity and reduced learning capacity.
According to UNICEF, 20% of children below five years of age in India suffer from acute under-nutrition, and 43% of children are underweight. India accounts for more than three out of every ten stunted children in the world.
