The budget for ICDS is down to 2033 crores for 2017-18 financial year from the earlier 2947 crores.
Maharashtra has around 5.9 lakh moderately malnourished and over 87,000 severely malnourished children but despite the situation the state government has slashed the budget of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) by as much as 31%. This despite a spate of malnutrition deaths in Palghar and Melghat.
The budget for ICDS is down to 2033 crores for 2017-18 financial year from the earlier 2947 crores.
"We are unsure of the accuracy of the numbers of the economic survey," said Amit Narkar of the National Centre for Advocacy Studies. "Malnutrition deaths are not mentioned in the ICDS study on anganwadi at all. The reports are not in sync with ground reality," he added.
Activists alleged that despite its claims about transparency the Maharashtra government had not published the data related to the budget on its website.
Shubha Shamin, a member of an anganwadi Sanghatna said the government gave only Rs 4.92 for each child to cover their breakfast and lunch. "There are times the money doesn't come for eight months and the womens' co-operative in villages can't sustain it for such a long time. Then the contracts are given to those in the cities who are paid a higher amount," she explained. She emphasized that the quality of the food served to the children was suffering due to the lack of funds.
Budget for health has seen a decline of 4.4% from 12,726 crores in 2016-17 to Rs 12,167 crores in 1017-18. The flagship National Health Mission (NHM) has also seen a cut of 4.2%.
Under spending, despite allocation remains another issue. "As on 20th March 49% of Maharashtra's budget remained unspent. 83% money alloted to food security was not spent, 32% in nutrition and 29% alloted to health remained unspent," said Ravi Duggal of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan.
"Even out of the budget allocated for medicines only 44% was spent leading to the deterioration of healthcare services," he added.
Addressing the issue of the recent attacks against the doctors, Dr Abhijeet More, Jan Arogya Abhiyan reiterated, "All the incidents took place at the public hospitals. They were because the health services were not available at these places. The problem is in the system."
Budget for ICDS in Maharashtra
2015-16: 6607 cr
2016-17: 2947 cr
2017-18: 2033 cr
Per capita revenue expenditure on nutrition in selected states 2015-16 (Rs)
Tamil Nadu: 434
Chhattisgarh: 272
Maharashtra: 254
Jharkhand: 241
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