Lok Sabha Question No. 3291 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-04
Subject: Evaluation Study of Anganwadi Centres
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: MAHEISH GIRRI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3291

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2017

## EVALUATION STUDY OF ANGANWADI CENTRES

## 3291.   SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state :

- (a) whether as per an evaluation study of anganwadi centres under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme conducted by NITI Aayog, 22.5 per cent of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) do not have the  required  medicines  for  the  children  and  41  per  cent  of  the  AWCs  have  shortage  of  space infrastructure or unsuitable accommodation;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the remedial measures taken by the Government to make medicines accessible to AWCs; and
- (d) whether the Government has identified locations where such AWCs can be located for resolving the crunch in physical infrastructure and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI  KRISHNA  RAJ)

- (a) & (b): Yes Madam.  As per ' Ä Quick Evaluation of Anganwadis under ICDS '  conducted  by  NITI Aayog in June, 2015, 77.5% of the AWCs had medicines available for children.  As per the report, the States/UTs where the medicines were not available are Bihar (73.3%), Odisha (100%), Punjab (63.3%), Tamil Nadu (73.3%) and West Bengal (36.7%).

As per the aforesaid Report, 59% of the AWCs had adequate space and in 41% of the AWCs there  was  some  problem  of  space.    The  problem  was  more  acute  in  Delhi  (80%),  Bihar,  Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala (43.3% each) and Tamil Nadu (96.7%).

Information on AWC infrastructure in respect of AWCs/ mini-AWCs in 36 States/ UTs are as under:-

|                      | Kutcha (%)           | Kutcha (%)           | Pucca (%)   | Pucca (%)   | Total (%)   | Total (%)   |
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Total AWCs reporting | Total AWCs reporting | Total AWCs reporting |             |             | 1245642     | 1245642     |
| Govt. Own Building   | 289                  | 0.02%                | 383221      | 30.76%      | 383510      | 30.78%      |
| Rented               |                      |                      |             |             |             |             |
| AWWs/AWHs House      | 25462                | 2.04%                | 60851       | 4.89%       | 86313       | 6.93%       |
| Others               | 164443               | 13.20%               | 164124      | 13.18%      | 328567      | 26.38%      |
| Community            |                      |                      |             |             |             |             |
| School               | 5538                 | 0.45%                | 257938      | 20.71%      | 263476      | 21.16%      |
| Panchayat            | 3152                 | 0.25%                | 59533       | 4.78%       | 62685       | 5.03%       |
| Others               | 33811                | 2.71%                | 76923       | 6.18%       | 110734      | 8.89%       |
| Open Space           | 7255                 | 0.58%                | 3102        | 0.25%       | 10357       | 0.83%       |
| Total                | 239950               | 19.25%               | 1005692     | 80.75%      | 1245642     | 100%        |

Construction  of  AWC  buildings  are  being  provided  in  convergence  with  Ministry  of  Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Women & Child Development under revised guidelines issued on 17 th February,  2016.  The  convergence  envisages  construction  of  4  lakh  AWC  buildings  in  a  phased manner.

Since  issuance  of  above  guidelines,    the  following  buildings  have  been  approved  for construction under convergence with MGNREGS:

## ( Rupees in lakh )

| Financial Year   |   Units approved |   Fund released |
|------------------|------------------|-----------------|
| 2015-16          |            29941 |         23441.4 |
| 2016-17          |            81447 |        101139   |

- (c): Anganwadi  Services  under  the  Umbrella  ICDS  Scheme  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  which  is implemented by the States/UTs.  Government of India lay down the guidelines, release the funds and monitor  implementation  of  the  Scheme.  The  responsibility  of  procurement  of  medicines  and  supply thereof  rests  with  the  States/UTs.    Ministry  of  Women  &  Child  Development  (MWCD)  has  been requesting the States/UTs  to ensure proper implementation  of  the Scheme  and  the  status of implementation is reviewed from time to time especially at the time of consideration and approval of State/UT's Annual Programme Implementation Plans (APIPs).

Requisite funds for medicine kits are provided to States/UTs for making available necessary medicines at the Anganwadi Centres for the use of beneficiaries.  Details of funds released/approved for States/UTs during the last three years are as under:

## (Rupees in lakh )

| Year    | Funds released for medicine kits to the States/UTs   |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 | 5987.42                                              |
| 2015-16 | 3312.34                                              |
| 2016-17 | 13448.77*                                            |

* (Approved allocation under APIP)

- (d): MWCD has issued guidelines on 1 st December, 2014 on relocation of Anganwadi Centres which, interalia,  authorizes  the  States/UTs  to  relocate  the  AWCs  as  per  the  requirements.  However,  while relocating  the  AWCs,  the  aspect  of  availability  of  adequate  land,  building,  water  facilities,  ease  of access of pregnant women and children besides, maximum travel distance not being more than 5 km in case of urban area, 3 km in rural areas and 1.5 km in tribal areas for the AWWs is kept in view.

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