SHILLONG: A study conducted by HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, New Delhi and North Eastern Social Research Centre (NESRC), Guwahati, has revealed that the budget allocation for children in Meghalaya has been low.
As per the findings of the NGOs for 2012-13 to 2016-17, the average allocation for children over the last five years (2012-13 to 2016- 17) has been Rs.6.14 in every 100 rupees 100 in the state budget.
The NGOs said that there was non-utilisation of the allocated funds in all the three years for which the actual expenditure is available.
“It was as high as over 56 % in 2014-15, the same year in which the allocations fell. In 2013-14, as much as 42% of the allocation remained unutilised,” the report said.
“The highest under-spending is in the child development sector which can be traced to the non-utilisation of allocations in the ICDS, followed by the schemes in the education sector,” the report added.
The NGOs recommended the state government to increase the allocation of fund for children in state budget especially in the health and protection sector.
Regarding the status of children in the state, the report findings painted a dismal picture as more than 70 per cent of girls and boys in the 6-59 months age group are anaemic and almost 49 per cent girls in the 6-19-year age group are suffering from anaemia, as per the District Level Household & Facility Survey(DLHS-4) (2012-13) District Level Household & Facility Survey(DLHS-4) (2012-13).
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of the state is 47 per 1000 (Census 2011) and the Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) in urban area is 20 per 1000 and rural area is 43 per 1000 (NHFS-4).
As per the NHFS-4, the incidence of malnutrition amongst children in the state of Meghalaya remains high.
