The Supreme Court Wednesday directed the states and Union Territories to decide by January 31 the reopening of Anganwadicentres,
Which were closed amid the COVID19 pandemic last year and presently situated outside the containment zone.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan directed that all states and UTs shall issue “necessary orders regarding monitoring and supervision of Anganwadicentres to ensure that the benefit reaches to the beneficiaries and a complaint redressal mechanism be put in place in each district”.
The bench, also comprising Justices R S Reddy and M R Shah, said that decision for not opening Anganwadicentres in any state or UT shall be taken only after the concerned state disaster management authority directs for not opening of centres in particular area situated outside containment zone.
“Anganwadicentres situated in the containment zone shall not be opened till the containment continues,” the bench said in its 31-page verdict delivered on a plea which had raised the issue of closure of Anganwadicentres.
“Inadequate supply of nutritious food to the citizens, more particularly to the children and the women shall affect their health. Therefore, the same shall be in violation of their fundamental right to health/right to live with dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” it said.