Lok Sabha Question No. 3753 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-11
Subject: Central Grants to Odisha under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

## GOVERNEMNT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3753

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.08.2023

## CENTRAL GRANTS TO ODISHA UNDER MISSION SAKSHAM ANGANWADI AND POSHAN 2.0

3753.  SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

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

- (a) whether  central  grants  have  been  provided  to  Odisha  under  Mission  Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof during the last three years, year-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a)   &   (b):   The  details  of  fund  released  to  State  Government  of  Odisha  under  Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme during last three years are as follows:

(Rupees in lakhs)

|   Sl. No. | Financial Year   |   Anganwadi Services Scheme |   POSHAN |    SAG |
|-----------|------------------|-----------------------------|----------|--------|
|         1 | 2020-21          |                     84652.3 |      0   |  29.69 |
|         2 | 2021-22          |                     93659.6 |  12842.4 |  96.54 |
|         3 | 2022-23          |                     91559.3 |     50.7 | 782.39 |

In order to maximize nutritional outcomes, the Anganwadi Services (erstwhile ICDS Scheme), Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Poshan Abhiyaan have been re-aligned under 'Saksham  Anganwadi  and  POSHAN  2.0'  (Mission  Poshan  2.0).  It  seeks  to  address  the challenges  of  malnutrition  in  children,  adolescent  girls,  pregnant  women  and  lactating mothers  through  a  strategic  shift  in  nutrition  content  and  delivery  and  by  creation  of  a convergent eco-system to develop and promote practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity. The Mission is being implemented throughout the country, including the State of Odisha.

Under Poshan 2.0, focus is on diet diversity, food fortification, leveraging traditional systems of knowledge and popularizing use of millets. Nutrition awareness strategies under Poshan 2.0 aim to develop sustainable health and well-being through regional meal plans to bridge dietary gaps. Further, greater emphasis is being given on the use of millets (coarse grains)  for  preparation  of  Hot  Cooked  Meal  and  Take  Home  rations  (not  raw  ration)  at Anganwadi centres for Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Children below 6 years of age, as millets have high nutrient content that can address anemia and other micro-nutrient deficiencies in women and children. Under Supplementary Nutrition Programme of Mission Poshan 2.0, only fortified rice is being allocated to States/UTs.

Under  the  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  guidelines,     2  lakh Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  @  40,000  AWCs  per  year  shall  be  strengthened,  upgraded across the country as Saksham Anganwadis for improving nutrition delivery including Poshan Vatikas  upto 2025-26.  In 2022-23, 41,192 AWCs have been approved for upgradation with provision for LEDs and smart learning and teaching aids.  In FY 2022-23, 6000 Saksham Anganwadi have been approved for upgradation in State of Odisha.

Keeping in view the importance of nutrition and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) services delivery,  it  has  been  decided  to  upgrade  all  Mini-Anganwadi  Centres  to main/regular Anganwadi Centres with the availability of an Anganwadi Helper.   2836 MiniAnganwadi have been approved in State of Odisha for upgradation into Main Anganwadi Centre.

For construction of AWC buildings across the country under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  in  convergence  with  Anganwadi Services (now known Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 Scheme), construction cost has been revised from Rs.7 lakh to Rs.12 lakh per unit under the revised Scheme - Poshan 2.0.

Under Swachhta Action Plan, Rs.10,000/- per AWC was provided for drinking water facilities  in   and  Rs.12,000/-per  AWC  for  toilet  facilities,  which  has  now  been  revised  to Rs.17,000/- per AWC and Rs.36,000/- per AWC respectively.

Further,  from time  to  time  States/UTs  are  being  advised  to  utilise  funds  allocated  under various components of Anganwadi Services as per the cost norms for better implementation of the scheme.

'Poshan Tracker', a robust ICT enabled platform, has been launched in March 2021 to ensure real-time monitoring of provisioning of supplementary nutrition by use of data analytics for  prompt  supervision  and  management  of  services.   The  system  shall  enable  real  time monitoring and tracking of all AWCs, AWWs and beneficiaries on defined indicators.

Under  Poshan  2.0,  for  efficient  service  delivery  and  monitoring  of  the  Anganwadi services, the Anganwadi workers (AWWs) have been technologically empowered with the provision of smartphones procured through Government e-Market (GeM). Internet connectivity charges for AWWs are provided @₹2000/- per annum per AWW. These frontline functionaries render their services in rural, urban, tribal and hilly areas of the country. Near about 11 lakh Smartphones have been procured by States/UTs.

Poshan Tracker digitizes physical registers used by Anganwadi workers. This saves the time of AWWs and AWHs, and improves the quality of their work while simultaneously allowing them real-time monitoring. The Anganwadi Workers periodically measure height and weight of children upto the age of 6 years and upload that data in the application.

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