Lok Sabha Question No. 5044 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-31
Subject: Performance of Schemes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: M. K. Raghavan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5044

TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.03.2023

## 'PERFORMANCE OF SCHEMES'

## 5044 SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN

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

- (a) whether the Government has data regarding the performance of schemes run through anganwadis and if so, the details regarding the same;
- (b) whether the Government has noticed that anganwadi workers are the centre point of primary heathcare in India and if so, the details of steps being taken for their welfare;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to increase honorarium to anganwadi workers and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the State Government of Kerala has fully utilised the funds granted for welfare of anganwadi workers and schemes run through angawadis in the state and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) The efforts under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme under Anganwadi Services, Supplementary  Nutrition  Programme,  revised  Scheme  for  Adolescent  Girls  and  POSHAN Abhiyaan have been rejuvenated and converged as 'Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0). There are 7074 sanctioned projects under Mission Poshan 2.0 with 13.9 lakh Anganwadi Centres across the country.

Under the Poshan Abhiyaan scheme, IT systems have been leveraged to strengthen and bring about transparency in nutrition delivery support systems. The 'Poshan Tracker' application was rolled out by MoWCD on 1 st  March 2021 as an important governance tool. Technology under Poshan Tracker is being leveraged for dynamic identification of stunting, wasting, underweight prevalence among children; and last mile tracking of nutrition service delivery.

Poshan  Tracker  will  help  Mission  Poshan  2.0  in  generating  data,  providing  feedback  to Program  Managers  and  documenting  the  impact  of  scheme  on  nutrition  indicators.  The Ministry/ States/ Districts can thus make effective timely interventions, based on the data from tracker and evaluate the progress of different components.

## Category wise beneficiaries registered under Poshan Tracker as on 28.02.2023

| Total Beneficiaries   | Lactating Mothers   | Pregnant Women   | Children 0- 6M   | Children 6M- 3Y   | Children 3-6Y   |
|-----------------------|---------------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| 9,99,63,025           | 52,81,652           | 53,57,262        | 46,59,293        | 4,08,00,370       | 4,28,64,448     |

Beneficiaries are being Aadhar seeded to ensure last mile tracking and delivery of services. As on date, more than 90% of beneficiaries registered on the Poshan Tracker have been successfully Aadhar seeded. Further, close to 18.89 lakh adolescent girls (14-18 years) have been registered on the Tracker from North east and Aspirational districts.

Under the said Mission, Anganwadi workers have been provided with close to 11 lakh smart phones.  Besides,  to  promote  regular  growth  monitoring,  12.53  lakh  Growth  Monitoring Devices  such  as  Infantometer,  Stadiometer,  Weighing  Scale,  have  been  procured  by States/UTs.

- (b) The following measures have been undertaken for welfare of Anganwadi Workers/Helpers:
- i. Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) being honorary workers are paid  a  monthly  honorarium  as  decided  by  the  Government  from  time  to  time.  Lastly,  on 01.10.2018, Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of AWWs at main-AWCs from 3,000/-  to₹ 4,500/-  per  month;  AWWs  at  mini-  AWCs  from  2,250/-  to₹ 3,500/-  per  month; AWHs from₹ 1,500/- to₹ 2,250/-₹ per month which is uniform across all States/ UTs. Also, performance linked incentive of 250/- per month paid to AWHs and @₹ 500/- per month to AWWs. In addition,States/UTs are also paying additional monetary incentives/ honorarium to these functionaries from their own resources.
- ii. Leave:  They  have  been  allowed  paid  absence  of  180  days  of maternity leave and 20 paid annual leave.
- iii. Uniform: Government has made a provision for a set of two Uniform (saree/suit per annum).
- iv. Promotion Avenues:  50%  of  posts of supervisors shall be filled by promotion of  Anganwadi  Workers  with  5  years  of  experience  and  50%  posts  of  AWWs  shall  be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of experience.
- v. Insurance cover under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Anganwadi Workers and Helpers who have been engaged with the Covid- 19 related tasks, have been provided with insurance cover of Rs.50 lakh under "Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package" with certain conditions.
- (c)  At  present  there  is  no  such  proposal  to  increase  the  honorarium  of  Anganwadi Workers/ Helpers.
- (d)  For  the  Financial  Year  2021-22  and  2022-23,  the  statement  of  utilization  of  funds under  Anganwadi  Services  (General)  and  Supplementary  Nutrition  Programme  (SNP)  in Kerala is tabulated below:

(Rupees in Lakhs)

|                | Anganwadi Services (General)   | Anganwadi Services (General)   |
|----------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Financial Year | Fund Released                  | Fund Utilized                  |
| 2021-22        | 19714.48                       | 20892.28                       |
| 2022-23        | 21270.17                       | Utilization not due            |

## (Rupees in Lakhs)

|                | Supplementary Nutrition   | Programme (SNP)     |
|----------------|---------------------------|---------------------|
| Financial Year | Fund Released             | Fund Utilized       |
| 2021-22        | 19083.19                  | 18905.05            |
| 2022-23        | 20829.85                  | Utilization not due |

## Note:

- (1) APIP- Annual Programme Implementation Plan

(2) Funds are released out of approved allocation after adjusting unspent balances / excess expenditure incurred by the States/UTs in the previous year.

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