40 girls mistakenly registered as pregnant: In a bizarre incident in Varanasi, 40 unmarried girls were mistakenly registered as pregnant, sparking confusion and concern across Malhiya village. The girls received official messages from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, stating that they had been added to a nutrition tracker and could access services like breastfeeding counseling and nutritional support. This startling error quickly raised alarms in the community.Ministry message causes confusion among familiesThe mix-up came to light when the girls received SMS notifications from the ministry, notifying them of successful registration in the nutrition tracker and eligibility for services including growth measurements, health referrals, and vaccinations. Shocked by the unexpected messages, the girls and their families approached the village head, prompting an investigation by the Chief Development Officer (CDO).Anganwadi worker admits errorUpon inquiry, it was discovered that the mistake occurred due to a clerical error by an Anganwadi worker. The worker, tasked with handling both voter registration and nutrition support, mistakenly entered the names of the teenage girls, who were being registered for voting, into the ministrys nutrition tracker database meant for pregnant women and children. Consequently, the girls received messages congratulating them on their “registration,” along with instructions for accessing additional support services.In one message, the notification read: “Congratulations! Your child has been successfully registered in the nutrition tracker. You can avail services like breastfeeding counseling, growth measurement, health referrals, and vaccinations at the Anganwadi center. For more information, contact the Ministry helpline at 14408.”Another message stated, “Your take-home ration (THR) has been issued today. If you have not received your THR or would like to provide feedback, contact the nutrition helpline 14408.”Village head demands actionAmit Patel, the husband of the village head, reported the issue after receiving multiple complaints from affected families. He questioned the scale of the error, noting that 35-40 girls were impacted, far too many to dismiss as a simple mistake. Patel called for an investigation, alleging that such errors suggest serious mismanagement within Anganwadi operations, where resources meant for the needy may not be reaching the intended recipients.Chief Development Officer responds to inquiryChief Development Officer (CDO) Himanshu Nagpal confirmed the mix-up, explaining that the Anganwadi worker was simultaneously handling voter registrations for newly eligible 18-year-olds as well as nutrition tracking for pregnant women and young children. “Due to overlapping duties, the forms were accidentally switched, leading to erroneous entries in the nutrition tracker,” Nagpal clarified.Nagpal added that immediate steps were taken to remove incorrect data from the portal and to ensure no nutritional benefits were erroneously issued in the girls names. Further verification is underway to confirm the findings. A notice has been issued to address this error, which authorities have attributed to human oversight rather than intentional negligence.
