Lucknow, March 30 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party, alleging that before 2017, "big mafia" controlled the distribution of supplementary nutrition in the state.
Questioning the earlier arrangement, the chief minister said, "Who was distributing this nutrition before 2017? It was the biggest mafia in north India, which was given government contracts in exchange for money, and he decided everything."
Addressing an event organised to distribute smartphones and appointment letters to Anganwadi workers and helpers, Adityanath alleged that a liquor mafia had infiltrated the Women and Child Development Department, influencing even the recipes of the nutrition supply.
"I was shocked. The same mafia decided the recipes. Supplies would reach some places and not others. The quality was so poor that it was unfit for consumption," the BJP leader said.
Linking the issue to malnutrition, Adityanath claimed that such practices led to the categorisation of Uttar Pradesh as a "BIMARU" state.
"When childhood itself is malnourished, the state is bound to remain underdeveloped," he said.
Accusing the previous regimes of looting the rights of the poor, malnourished children and mothers, the chief minister said that such elements now create disorder through sloganeering.
Highlighting reforms in recruitment, Adityanath said that the current process for appointing anganwadi workers and helpers is transparent.
"I can guarantee that not a single anganwadi worker or helper had to seek recommendations or pay money. Was this possible before 2017?" he said.
He claimed that earlier, the system functioned on "parchi and kharchi" (recommendation and bribery), which he said had now been eliminated.
"Those who worked hard could neither pay money nor arrange recommendations, which is why such appointments were not possible earlier," he added.
Noting that the distribution of appointment letters was not a new initiative, the chief minister said, "Last year too, we distributed appointment letters to 19,424 anganwadi workers and 3,077 helpers, and not a single complaint was received."
Adityanath said anganwadi centres would soon undergo a visible transformation, asserting that "if anganwadi centres become smart, the honorarium of workers should also be smart."
He added that the department has been directed to organise training at the earliest and present a proposal to enhance honorariums.
He also announced that the government has set up a corporation to manage outsourced personnel from April.
"Earlier, most outsourcing companies were run by some mafia or political figures who exploited workers. The government would pay Rs 10,000 to 12,000, but the personnel would receive only Rs 5,000 to 6,000," he alleged.
He also laid the foundation for multiple infrastructure projects worth around Rs 450 crore aimed at strengthening child development services in the state.
The programme covered the distribution of smartphones to 69,804 Anganwadi workers and supervisors, over two lakh growth monitoring devices, and appointment letters to 18,440 Anganwadi workers and helpers. Besides 3,170 Anganwadi centre buildings and 140 Child Development Project Office buildings were inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid during the event.
Describing the initiative as a "long-awaited programme", Adityanath said efforts had been underway to ensure that every Anganwadi worker is equipped with a smartphone.
Underscoring the challenge of real-time data reporting by frontline women workers, often due to a lack of digital access, Adityanath said, "Providing smartphones and ensuring proper training in their use is essential."
The BJP leader also highlighted the expansion of their role, as the National Education Policy 2020 envisages pre-primary education for children aged 3-5 years at Anganwadi centres.
He said several such facilities were also initiated as part of the programme, and added that around 27,000 centres previously operated under the basic education system are being made available to the Anganwadi network.
Referring to efforts of the central government, he said the initiative aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build a strong foundation for the country's future through improved child nutrition and maternal health.
Lauding Anganwadi workers and helpers, Adityanath said that their role has been recognised at the highest level, with the Prime Minister likening them to Yashoda for their nurturing contribution to children.