Performance audit of implementation of ICDS scheme revealed that supplementary nutrition was not provided to 30.72 lakh children (out of 135.42 lakh) of the age group of 0-6 years and 3.81 lakh pregnant and lactating mothers (out of 26.13 lakh) during the period 2014-15 to 2018-2019. There was a gradual decline in the actual number of beneficiaries of the scheme over the years during the audit period. Aadhaar seeding of both beneficiaries and Anganwadi workers/ helpers was not yet fully achieved, despite sanction of funds by the GoI.

Department was not able to ensure quality of meals as envisaged in the scheme guidelines, due to delays in sending the samples or non-receipt of Ready to Eat (RTE) food packet’s test reports from the laboratories, and deviation in the tolerance limits in nutritional value from National Food Security Act (NFSA) standards. Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum was implemented with delay of more than two years and medicine kits for Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) were not procured.

Availability of infrastructure and equipment in AWCs was deficient vis-à-vis norms and lack of basic facilities, such as drinking water, toilet, playing area, store room, ramp, electricity, cooking and feeding utensils, equipment for cooking, essential drugs and material for monitoring health severely constrained the functioning of the AWCs. Only 37,407 AWCs were operating from dedicated buildings with delays in completing the construction of buildings of 5,915 AWCs and non-use of 1,487 AWC buildings due to dilapidated conditions and long distance from the habitations. Monitoring of AWCs was poor as was evident from acute shortfall in field visits by Child Development Project Officers and Supervisors.