Lok Sabha Question No. 65 (STARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Infrastructure for Anganwadis
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. Alok Kumar Suman

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *65

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2025

## INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANGANWADIS

- *65.     DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN:

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

- (a) whether infrastructure has been reorganised in Anganwadis including modern and upgraded Saksham Anganwadis under the Mission Saksham Anganwadis for its fruitful  implementation  across  the  country  inclduing  Bihar,  Uttar  Pradesh  and Madhya Pradesh, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether modern and upgraded Saksham Anganwadis is contributing significantly in the  rural  areas  of  the  country  for  generating  employment  among  the downtrodden women, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government has made any categorization in Anganwadi workers to give more priority/benefits to women belonging to SC/ST communities and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

- (a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  TO  (C)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  65  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  07.02.2025  REGARDING 'INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANGANWADIS'

(a) to (c) During the 15 th  Finance Commission cycle, 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) located in Government buildings @ 40,000 AWCs per year are to be strengthened and upgraded  as  Saksham  Anganwadis  for  improved  nutrition  delivery  and  for  Early Childhood  Care  and  Education  under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan 2.0. Saksham Anganwadis are to be provided with better infrastructure than the conventional Anganwadi Centres including  LED screens, water purifier/installation  of  RO  Machine, Poshan  Vatika,  ECCE  related  books  and  learning  material  etc.  As  on  date,  2  Lakh Anganwadi  Centres  has  been  sanctioned  for  upgradation  to  Saksham  Anganwadi Centres. The State wise details of the same is placed at Annexure.

Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, beginning from FY 2021-22, 50000 AWCs building are to be constructed over a period of five years @10000 AWCs per year. The cost norms for construction of Anganwadi Centres in convergence with MGNREGS is  Rs.12  Lakh  per  AWC wherein Rs.8.00 Lakh would be provided under MGNREGS, Rs.2.00 Lakh under 15th FC (or any other untied funds) and Rs.2.00 Lakh by MWCD per AWC to be shared between Centre and States/UTs in the prescribed cost sharing ratio.

The unit cost approved for construction of toilet is Rs.36000/- per AWC and for drinking water provisioning the approved cost is Rs. 17000/- per AWC to be shared by Centre and States/UTs as per the cost sharing ratio.

Apart from this, the Government has issued orders for upgradation of all mini AWC to regular AWCs. This would add an Anganwadi Helper in these Anganwadi Centres across the country to share the burden of Anganwadi worker so that the component of ECCE can  be  strengthened.  Out  of  1,16,852  Mini-AWCs  in  23  States/UTs,  sanction  for upgradation of 86,387 Mini-AWCs in 20 States/UTs has been issued till date. Further, directions have been issued to States/UTs to co-locate Anganwadi Centres, which are running on rent without sufficient infrastructure, at nearby Primary Schools, where space is available.

The PM JANMAN Mission launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs and is aimed at targeted development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) residing in 18 States and a UT. This Mission focuses on 11 critical interventions related to 9 key Ministries including Ministry of Women and Child Development. As on date, a total of 2139 AWCs has been sanctioned for construction under PM JANMAN across the country.

In addition to above, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched Dharti Aaba Janjati Gram Unnat  Abhiyan  (DAJGUA)  aimed  at  improving  the  socio-economic  condition  of  tribal communities by adopting saturation coverage of tribal families in tribal majority areas and aspirational  block  ST  villages.  The  intervention  of  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development involves establishment of 2000 new Saksham AWCs and upgradation of 6000 existing AWCs to Saksham AWCs from FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29. As on date, a total  of  236  AWCs  has  been  sanctioned  for  construction  under  DAJGUA   across  the country.

Anganwadi Centres functions by female Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers belonging to local community who come forward to render their service in the areas of nutrition and child development.

For leveraging convergence for food and nutrition, Poshan Vatikas (kitchen gardens and nutri-gardens)  are  set  up  at  or  near  Anganwadi  Centres,  wherever  possible  and  in Government  led  schools  and  Gram  Panchayat  lands  where  benefits  can  easily  be provided  to  women  and  children.  To  initiate  this  program,  the  space  in  Anganwadi Centres, panchayat areas, vacant lands of village any other government premises such as  school  campus or any other patch of  community/government land available in the locality, etc. are utilized. Adolescent girls and BPL women are engaged to manage the Vatikas.

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## Annexure

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  65  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  07.02.2025  REGARDING 'INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANGANWADIS'

| S.No.   | State/UT          | Total No. of AWCs approved for upgradation as on date   | Total No. of AWCs approved for upgradation as on date   |
|---------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | Andhra Pradesh                                          | 9,958                                                   |
| 2       | Bihar             | Bihar                                                   | 11,529                                                  |
| 3       | Chhattisgarh      | Chhattisgarh                                            | 11,490                                                  |
| 4       | Gujarat           | Gujarat                                                 | 13,147                                                  |
| 5       | Haryana           | Haryana                                                 | 2,804                                                   |
| 6       | Himachal Pradesh  | Himachal Pradesh                                        | 1,030                                                   |
| 7       | Jammu & Kashmir   | Jammu & Kashmir                                         | 338                                                     |
| 8       |                   |                                                         | 16,775                                                  |
| 9       | Jharkhand         | Jharkhand                                               | 17,732                                                  |
| 10      | Karnataka Kerala  | Karnataka Kerala                                        | 4152                                                    |
| 11      | Madhya Pradesh    | Madhya Pradesh                                          | 24,662                                                  |
| 12      | Maharashtra       | Maharashtra                                             | 14,745                                                  |
| 13      | Odisha            | Odisha                                                  | 12,140                                                  |
| 14      | Punjab            | Punjab                                                  | 353                                                     |
| 15      | Rajasthan         | Rajasthan                                               | 3514                                                    |
| 16      | Tamil Nadu        | Tamil Nadu                                              | 11,972                                                  |
| 17      | Telangana         | Telangana                                               | 5,008                                                   |
| 18      | Uttar Pradesh     | Uttar Pradesh                                           | 23,697                                                  |
| 19      | Uttrakhand        | Uttrakhand                                              | 827                                                     |
| 20      | West Bengal       | West Bengal                                             | 5,359                                                   |
| 21      | Arunachal Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh                                       | 152                                                     |
| 22      | Assam             | Assam                                                   | 5,407                                                   |
| 23      | Manipur           | Manipur                                                 | 30                                                      |
| 24      | Meghalaya         | Meghalaya                                               | 121                                                     |
| 25      | Mizoram           | Mizoram                                                 | 1,600                                                   |
| 26      | Nagaland          | Nagaland                                                | 149                                                     |
| 27      | Sikkim            | Sikkim                                                  | 435                                                     |
| 28      | Tripura           | Tripura                                                 | 474                                                     |
| 29      | Andaman & Nicobar | Andaman & Nicobar                                       | 140                                                     |
| 30      | Goa               | Goa                                                     | 24                                                      |
| 31      | Puducherry        | Puducherry                                              | 135                                                     |
| 32      | Chandigarh        | Chandigarh                                              | 69                                                      |
| 33      | Ladakh            | Ladakh                                                  | 14                                                      |
| 36      | Lakshadweep       | Lakshadweep                                             | 18                                                      |
|         | Total             | Total                                                   | 2,00,000                                                |