Kolkata: At the heart of the expansive Shonagachi Tea Estate in north Bengal, the Shishualaya – literally ‘abode for children’ – was a key place for workers. Here, children under six received their early education and meals. But of late, the rice and dal in the pots seem to be running out faster than usual. Eggs, which used to be served earlier are now a distant memory. Rima Oraon, an Anganwadi worker, couldn’t hide her frustration. “We don’t have enough money for rice and dal and salt, let alone eggs. And the government insists that only if we finish online accounting and record keeping for the earlier meals can we get money for future meals. Don’t they understand the challenges we face?” she asks.The children around Rima are in various stages of play. Some have hoisted themselves up on a window. Others are running around. Maybe there will be some lessons, maybe there will be a meal.Rima was told she would get an Android phone that would help her with the mandatory online record keeping. But no such phone arrived. She initially visited cyber cafes but they proved very expensive, leading her to abandon the process entirely.As an Anganwadi worker, Rima is in charge of mothers and their children of up to five years. The mothers and children of many as 262 households depend on this Shishualaya’s meals everyday.Since June, funds had dried up, leaving Rima to borrow from local kirana stores. Eventually, the shopkeepers’ goodwill waned.Rima has told the government’s Integrated Child Development Services authorities that she has only been feeding khichdi to children. But her pleas have not led to action.At lunch time when The Wire visited, some children chimed, “Didi, we want eggs.” Rima says the household must suspects that she makes off with the money for eggs. “But that is not true,” she says.Also read: This Year’s Budget Is Critical to Ensure a Comprehensive Nutrition ResponseOver the past three months, a persistent demand for eggs has become a source of concern for Anganwadi workers across the state. The initial plan of the Bengal government had aimed to provide one whole egg three times a week to children attending approximately the 120,000 Anganwadi centres across the state. To support this initiative, a daily allocation of Rs 6.50 per child was decided. Eggs would be given on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Pregnant mothers were also included in the plan, with an allocation of Rs 7.34 for eggs and vegetables, supplemented by an extra Rs 0.84 for potatoes. For Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the allocation for children was adjusted to half an egg, at a cost of Rs 4.34, inclusive of Rs. 1.09 for vegetables.In February of 2023, Smriti Irani, the Union minister of women and child development, raised concerns over the appropriate utilisation of funds designated for the ICDS scheme in Bengal. Bengal minister of state (independent charge) of the same department, Shashi Panja, said there was no such ICDS money lying unspent. She said that the Bengal government has instead been raising concerns about reduced fund allocations and delayed disbursements for the ICDS. Since June this year, the Mamata Banerjee government has entirely stopped disbursing financial support for essentials like eggs and vegetables under the ICDS, leading to a lack of crucial nutritional aid for young children and expectant mothers. “The state government is pressuring Anganwadi workers to manage multiple centres since new hiring has practically ceased. How many centres can an Anganwadi worker effectively handle when she also needs to prepare and provide nourishing meals to mothers and children, and accompany them to nearby hospitals? Consequently, even though the centres are technically operational on paper, the workers are facing significant challenges in running them. Due to a lack of government funds, arranging food has become a struggle,” stated Ratna Dutta, general secretary of the Paschimbanga Rajya ICDS Karmi Samiti, an organisation with a membership of over 70,000 workers.As the dispute between the state and central authorities continues, it is Anganwadi workers like Rima Oraon who keep borrowing money to ensure that children continue eating.“During the COVID pandemic, many centres were forced to shut down, which was devastating for children and expecting mothers. As the dispute between the central and state governments continues, these centres are again facing critical challenges. The government must ensure these facilities remain functional regardless of the ongoing circumstances,” said Sabir Ahmed, a researcher working on maternal and child health, nutrition, and education at the Pratichi Trust founded by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.Across the state, many Anganwadi centres are in dire condition without proper kitchens or toilets. In recent times, there were multiple reports on local media of unhygienic and contaminated food being provided to children and expecting mothers.Like Rima, other Anganwadi workers in the state have also made complaints of their inability to update the Poshan Tracker – the real-time mobile application brought by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to track nutritional parameters. Anganwadi workers were expected to note down key parameters including height, weight and the circumference of a child’s arms.In West Bengal, an Anganwadi worker receives a monthly salary of Rs 8,250, while a helper receives Rs 6,300. The workers are advocating for the implementation of a minimum wage, provision of smartphones, and an additional Rs 500 per month for internet connectivity to update the Poshan app. As per Poshan Tracker, the state has 109,454 registered workers and another 98,787 helpers.While the Union government has allocated funds to procure smartphones for the Anganwadi workers, the West Bengal government is yet to start initiative. Many Anganwadi workers The Wire spoke to said the lack of a smart phone, lack of connectivity and language barriers make it an impossible exercise.“This scheme cannot be stalled for any reason. It is one of the most important flagship projects in the country,” said the former editor of Anandabazar Patrika, Anirban Chattopadhyay, who has been working on developmental economics.“There is a huge problem of infrastructure, the workers are also ignored. Our civil society is silent on these issues. The project must be continued at any cost, now is not the time to see who is at fault, the centre or the state,” added Chattopadhyay.Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.