KURNOOL: ‘Lambada Hakkula Porata Samithi’ would organise State-wide dharnas in front of all the district collectorates from May 7 to May 13 in protest against the sale of infants in the tandas, according to state president of the samithi Trejawath Beldaiah Naik.

Speaking to mediapersons on Thursday, he alleged that the government was not taking action against those who are purchasing infants in the Lambada thandas. As part of the state wide agitation, dharna would be staged in front of the Kurnool collecorate on May 10.

The government was not considering their demand of notifying the 15,000 Lambada thandas in the state as special panchayats. Though Panchayati Raj Minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy assured them at a Lambada sadas held in Hyderabad in February last that he would see that Lambada thandas would be notified as spacial panchayats but nothing was done. In protest against this, Nangara Bheri padayatra was organised from Tirupati on April 18.

It was organised at Chttoor, Piler, Rayachoti, Kadiri, Anantapuram, Gutti, Kurnool. The padayatra would reach Hyderabad on June 9 and the same day a huge procession would be taken. Huge agitation would be launched if the Lambada thandas were not notified as special panchayats before June 9. About 80 lakh Girijans are living in 15,000 tandas and no development was seen in the tandas. Though budget allocation has been made for tandas development, it was not properly utilised.

Lambada ‘tandas’ ICDS guidelines to be relaxed

HYDERABAD: The guidelines of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) will be relaxed in respect of Lambada ‘tandas’ (hamlets) where due to lack of awareness, there is a rampant sale as well as adoption of children.

The tandas with population of 50 to 100 will be provided ‘anganwadi’ centres under ICDS though there is a norm that it requires over 300 inhabitants. Since tandas lie scattered and consist of 50-100 people, they are not covered in the backward Telangana districts.

When Union Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare Sumitra Mahajan visited the ‘Shishu Vihar’ (State Home) located in Vengalrao Nagar here today, it was brought to her notice that most children who fell into the hands of adoption racketeers hailed from tandas. The Union Minister went round the home and enquired from the children about the measures being taken for their welfare.

The officials of the State Women and Child Welfare Department told the Union Minister about the ways in which the adoption racketeers were exploiting the weaknesses as well as ignorance of the tanda people. They also submitted several proposals for covering the tandas under ICDS.

SPECIAL PROGRAMMES: Besides awareness, the anganwadi centres will take up special programmes for non-formal pre-school education, supplementary nutritional programmes, nutrition and health education and various referral services. Appreciating the work of self-help groups (SHGs), the Union Minister suggested integration of the activities of SHGs with anganwadi centres in backward areas for achieving better results.

GUIDELINES: Speaking to reporters, the Minister said that the issue of illegal child adoptions would be taken up soon with Union Home Minister L K Advani for taking measures to deal with the problem. The need for changing the guidelines of Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) would be discussed with the Union Environment and Social Justice Minister Maneka Gandhi, she added.

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'Anganwadi' centres to be set up for tribal children

HYDERABAD: The guidelines of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) will be relaxed in respect of Lambada 'tandas' (hamlets) which have been suffering from sale as well as adoption of children due to lack of awareness.

The tandas consisting of 50 to 100 population will be provided with `Anganwadi' centres under ICDS though there is a norm that it requires over 300 inhabitants. Since tandas lie scattered and consist of 50-100 population, they are not covered in the backward Telangana districts.

When Union Minister of State for Women & Children Welfare Sumitra Mahajan visited the `Shishu Vihar' (State Home) located in Vengalrao Nagar here on Thursday, it was brought to her notice that most children who fell into the hands of adoption racketeers hailed from tandas.

The union minister went round the home and inquired from the children about the measures being taken for their welfare.

At least 188 children are shifted from the fake adoption agencies in Rangareddy, Hyderabad and other districts after the murky activities of John Abraham Memorial Bethany Home located at Tandur came to the surface recently.

The officials of the State women & child welfare department told the Union Minister about the ways in which the adoption racketeers were exploiting the weaknesses as well as ignorance of the tanda people. They also submitted several proposals for covering the tandas under ICDS.

Besides awareness, the `anganwadi' centres will take up special programmes for non-formal pre-school education, supplementary nutritional programmes, nutrition and health education and various referral services.

Special programmes for adolescent girls, early children's education and mother's committees would also be taken up as part of efforts to solve the deeply-rooted social problem. Tanda dwellers are so ignorant that they do care for the words of local volunteers for observing family planning.

Since the `anganwadi' concept hinges on training and engaging local workers in all these issues, the situation will improve if the centres are set up covering two to three tandas. Each centre will have a worker and a helper who will be paid Rs 500 and Rs 270 per month respectively.

Appreciating the work of self-help groups (SHGs), the Union Minister suggested that the activities of SHGs be integrated with `anganwadi' centres in backward areas for achieving better results. A large number of tanda women have been covered under DWCRA groups, she was told.

Speaking to reporters, the Minister said that the issue of illegal child adoptions to foreigners would be taken up with Union Home Minister LK Advani soon for taking measuers to deal with the problem. The need for changing the guidelines of Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) would be discussed with Union Environment and Social Justice Minister Maneka Gandhi, she added.

The Minister also inaugurated a three-day training programme for mothers' committees at Medchal in Medak district. Addressing a meeting on the occasion, she wanted `anganwadi' workers and organisers of various governmental schemes to pay attention to community awareness in backward areas.