Lok Sabha Question No. 5734 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-04
Subject: Anganwadi Centres in Assam
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5734 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2025

## ANGANWADI CENTRES IN ASSAM

## 5734.  SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) that have been upgraded to Saksham Anganwadis in Assam, district-wise along with the targets set for the same;
- (b) whether  the  AWCs  have  been  temporarily  or  permanently  closed  in Assam in the last five years, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the  number  of  AWCs  in  Assam  operating  in  temporary  or  semi-pucca structures in Assam, district-wise and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the number of AWCs in Assam without toilet facilities and whether the Government has provided mobile toilets to the same, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) to (d). As per the the 15 th  Finance Commission cycle, 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) located in Government buildings @ 40,000 AWCs per year are  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 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  have  been  sanctioned  for  upgradation  to Saksham Anganwadi Centres. In the State of Assam, 3884 AWCs have been upgraded to Saksham Anganwadi Centres. District  wise  details  of AWCs upgraded in Assam are placed at Annexure-I .

Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  there  is  a provision of  construction  of  50000  AWCs buildings over a period of five years  @10000  AWCs  per  year.  The  cost  norms  for  construction  of Anganwadi Centres in convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  have  been  revised  from Rs.7 Lakh per AWC to Rs.12 Lakh per AWC wherein Rs.8.00 Lakh would be provided  under  MGNREGS,  Rs.2.00  Lakh  under  15th  Finance Commission (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. Further, States/UTs have also been advised to continue to tap funds for construction of AWC buildings from various schemes such as  Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), Rural  Infrastructure  Development  Fund  (RIDF),  Finance  Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), MultiSectoral Development Programme (MSDP) of Ministry of Minority Affairs, etc. In the State of Assam, a total of 16,331 AWCs  are operating in semi-pucca structures. District wise details are placed at Annexure-II .

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.

In order to improve the infrastructure facility of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) various steps have been undertaken by the Ministry that, inter alia, include increasing the funding for drinking water facilities and toilets at Anganwadi Centres from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.17,000/- and Rs.12,000/- to Rs.36,000/respectively. As reported by State Government of Assam, a total of 5,627 AWCs are without toilet facility and there is no provision for mobile toilet.

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Statement  referred  to  in  reply  to  Parts  (a)  to  (d)  of  Lok  Sabha  UnStarred Question No. 5734 to be answered on 04.04.2025 regarding 'Anganwadi Centres in Assam'

## District wise, number of AWCs upgraded into Saksham AWCs

|   S No. | Name of District   |   No. of AWCs upgraded till date |
|---------|--------------------|----------------------------------|
|       1 | Baksa              |                              545 |
|       2 | Barpeta            |                              470 |
|       3 | Biswanath          |                              100 |
|       4 | Bongaigaon         |                               25 |
|       5 | Cachar             |                               66 |
|       6 | Darrang            |                              151 |
|       7 | Dhubri             |                              191 |
|       8 | Dibrugarh          |                              149 |
|       9 | Goalpara           |                              508 |
|      10 | Golaghat           |                               50 |
|      11 | Hailakandi         |                               79 |
|      12 | HOJAI              |                               75 |
|      13 | Jorhat             |                              167 |
|      14 | Kamrup M           |                              153 |
|      15 | Karbi Anglong      |                               50 |
|      16 | Lakhimpur          |                              125 |
|      17 | Majuli             |                               25 |
|      18 | MORIGAON           |                               50 |
|      19 | Nagaon             |                              125 |
|      20 | SIVASAGAR          |                               23 |

| 21.   | South Salmara   |      |
|-------|-----------------|------|
| 22.   | Tinsukia        |  258 |
| 23.   | Udalguri        |  361 |
|       | Total           | 3884 |

Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Un-Starred Question No. 5734 to be answered on 04.04.2025 regarding 'Anganwadi Centres in Assam' District wise, number of AWCs operating in Semi Pucca building

| Sl. No   | District                |   No. of AWCs operating in Semi pucca |
|----------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 1        | Bajali                  |                                    89 |
| 2        | Baksa                   |                                   854 |
| 3        | Barpeta                 |                                   429 |
| 4        | Biswanath               |                                   216 |
| 5        | Bongaigaon              |                                   115 |
| 6        | Cachar                  |                                  1543 |
| 7        | Charaideo               |                                    22 |
| 8        | Chirang                 |                                   319 |
| 9        | Darrang                 |                                   480 |
| 10       | Dhemaji                 |                                   478 |
| 11       | Dhubri                  |                                   592 |
| 12       | Dibrugarh               |                                   319 |
| 13       | Dima Hasao              |                                   326 |
| 14       | Goalpara                |                                   494 |
| 15       | Golaghat                |                                   697 |
| 16       | Hailakandi              |                                   431 |
| 17       | Hojai                   |                                   586 |
| 18       | Jorhat                  |                                   138 |
| 19       | Kamrup                  |                                   534 |
| 20       | Kamrup Metro            |                                   155 |
| 21       | Karbi Anglong           |                                  1194 |
| 22       | Karimganj               |                                   351 |
| 23       | Kokrajhar               |                                   519 |
| 24       | Lakhimpur               |                                  1029 |
| 25       | Majuli                  |                                   102 |
| 26       | Morigaon                |                                   259 |
| 27       | Nagaon                  |                                   537 |
| 28       | Nalbari                 |                                   643 |
| 29       | Sivasagar               |                                    73 |
| 30       | Sonitpur                |                                   601 |
| 31       | South Salmara Mankachar |                                   286 |
| 32       | Tamulpur                |                                   634 |
| 33       | Tinsukia                |                                   304 |
| 34       | Udalguri                |                                   575 |
| 35       | West Karbi-Anglong      |                                   407 |
| Total    |                         |                                 16331 |

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