Villagers demand shifting of anganwadi centre to land offered by farmer in Namakkal

Namakkal: Residents of Kattipalayam in Kaliyanoor panchayat have urged the district administration to move the anganwadi centre currently operating from a makeshift, asbestos-roof structure in their village to a new building on a land offered by a farmer free of cost.
Kattipalayam in Pallipalayam taluk is home to over 200 families. The state government established the anganwadi centre to support the children in the village.
Mohammed Ibrahim, a 36-year-old villager, told TOI that the centre is functioning from a private location.
"Currently, 10 children are enrolled at the centre," he noted. He pointed out that the private facility lacks adequate toilet and sanitation amenities, forcing anganwadi workers to use toilets in neighbours' houses while leaving children to relieve themselves in open areas.
Ibrahim said a local farmer had offered his land for the construction of a new anganwadi centre. "However, officials have not taken any action to utilize this land," he added.
An official from the Kaliyanoor panchayat explained that the state government allocated Rs 45 lakh in 2020 for the construction of an anganwadi centre.
"Unfortunately, we could not access those funds due to Covid. The money was returned to the state government in 2022 after remaining unused for over two years," he said.
The villagers have urged the Namakkal district administration to allocate the necessary funds to build a new anganwadi centre on the land offered by the local farmer at no cost.