No Aadhaar, no Anganwadi benefit for tribal kids

VISAKHAPATNAM: Adding to their woes, at least 84 tribal children of Boddu Mamidi and Nitta Mamidi hamlets in Gudutur panchayat of G Madugula mandal do not have either Aadhaar card or a birth certificate, depriving them admission in Anganwadi schools. Hence, they are not getting nutritious food under the Poushtikaharam scheme.

Tribals need to trek 15 km to reach a village volunteer to apply for a welfare scheme. Narrating their woes, Pongi Sudhakar, a tribal family head, said they met District Collector A Mallikarjuna, along with Girijana Sangham leaders, at the Spandana programme held at Narsipatnam on November 11 and submitted a representation in this regard. 

As per the Collector’s directive, the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer asked G Madugula revenue officials to look into our problems. But the issue remains unresolved, he said. Boddu Mamidi and Nitta Mamidi do not have basic amenities like power and drinking water  supply, besides lack of proper road connectivity. About 250 tribal families reside in the two hamlets. 

Underlining the need to develop basic infrastructure in tribal hamlets, the Girijana Sangham demanded that a mobile centre be set up in Agency villages to issue Aadhaar cards for tribal children.  Otherwise, the benefits of Anganwadi centres and other welfare schemes will not reach the tribal children, depriving them of primary education, it said.