Lok Sabha Question No. 2594 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-04
Subject: Construction of Anganwadi Centres
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2594

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2023

## CONSTRUCTION OF ANGANWADI CENTRES

## 2594. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B

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

- (a) whether the Union Government has informed the State Governments that under the  Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 schemes, the States may seek Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds on their own discretion, apart from accepting  donations  from  individuals,  companies,  business  houses  and institutions of repute for construction of Anganwadis;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has asked the States to revisit the actual requirements of  Anganwadi  Centres  vis-a-vis  the  population  of  the  area,  the  number  of children actually  attending  and  the  number of  centres  already  available and then furnish a detailed proposal; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) In order to provide an impetus to the construction of Anganwadi centres across  the  country,  States/UTs  have  been  advised  to  continue  to  tap  funds  for construction of AWC buildings from various schemes such as MPLADs, MLALADS, RIDF  (Rural  Infrastructure  Development  Fund),  Finance  Commission  Grants  to Panchayati  Raj  Institutions,  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act  (NREGA), Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) of Ministry of Minority Affairs, etc. States at their level in their own discretion have been advised to involve Individuals, Companies, Business Houses and Institution of repute, CSR funds for construction of AWCs purely on pro bono basis without any obligation. Similarly, the DMs have been encouraged to mobilize resources for this purely on pro bono basis and without any obligation. States/UTs have similarly been permitted funding of Anganwadi Infrastructure e.g., Toilets, RWHSs, DWS etc., or any aspect of Anganwadi activity such  as  ECCE  material,  furniture,  cooking  utensils,  kitchen  infrastructure,  storage facility, etc.

(c) & (d) To achieve rationalisation of AWCs and to ensure that AWCs cater to the  needs  to  the  population  as  per  the  prescribed  norms,  States/  UTs  have  been advised time and again to assess any mis-match in the outreach of the scheme at the ground level. It has been reiterated to all States/ UTs to re-visit the issue of availability of AWCs at habitation level. Ministry has also issued guidelines for relocation of AWCs which  inter-alia  authorizes  the  States/UTs  to  relocate  the  AWCs.  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 areas, 3 km in rural areas and 1.5 km in tribal areas for the Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) may be kept in view.

Further, States/UTs have been advised to co-locate those Anganwadi Centres which are running on rent and without sufficient infrastructure to nearby Government Primary Schools.

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