Lok Sabha Question No. 1297 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: Survey on Infrastructure of Anganwadis
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1297

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2024

## SURVEY ON INFRASTRUCTURE OF ANGANWADIS

## 1297: SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

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

- (a)     whether  any  national  survey  has  been  conducted  on  the  infrastructure  in Anganwadis;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether many Anganwadis do not have their own building and basic facilities like clean toilets, kitchen, hygienic atmosphere or permanent staff; and
- (d)       if so, the details of the efforts taken by the Government to improve the standards of all Anganwadi services?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d)  In  the  15 th   Finance  Commission,  components  of  nutritional  support  for children below the age of 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mother, Adolescent Girls;  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education  [3-6  years];  Anganwadi  infrastructure including  modern,  upgraded  Saksham  Anganwadi  have  been  reorganised  under Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  for  effective  implementation  of  the scheme and for better nutritional delivery to end beneficiaries. A third party evaluation of  all  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  in  Women  and  Child  Development  Sector including Anganwadi services was conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020. The evaluation found the impact of Anganwadi Services scheme satisfactory. Review of the scheme and  its  components  is  a  continuous  process  and  based  on  learnings,  outcomes, suggestions and proposals, Government takes appropriate action from time to time. In the Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP), States/UTs provide complete details of infrastructure available in all Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) available in their State/UT. 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 cost of 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. A  total  of  Rs.11620.56 Lakh  has  been  released  to  various  States/  UTs  for  construction  of  Toilets  and Rs.6568.09 Lakh for provision of drinking water facilities in FY 2022-23.

Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  there  is  a  provision  of construction of 50000 AWCs building over a period of five years @10000 AWCs per year.  The  cost  norms  for  construction  of  Anganwadi  Centres  in  convergence  with 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 15 th 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 MPLADS, RIDF, Finance Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions, NREGA, MSDP of Ministry of Minority Affairs, etc. 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.

During  the  15 th   Finance  Commission  cycle,  2  lakh  Anganwadi  Centres  @ 40,000 AWCs per year are to be upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis for improved nutrition delivery and for early childhood care and development. Saksham Anganwadis are to be provided with better infrastructure than the conventional Anganwadi Centres including  internet/Wi-Fi  connectivity,  LED  screens,  water  purifier/installation  of  RO Machine and equipped with smart learning equipment. A total of 41192 Anganwadi Centres have been approved for upgradation as Saksham Anganwadis and funds amounting to Rs.21273.63 Lakh has been released to States in FY 2022-23. Further, the Government has also decided to upgrade all Mini AWCs with one worker to a full-fledged Anganwadi Centre with one worker and one helper. Out of 1,16,852 Mini-AWCs sanctioned for 23 States/UTs, orders have been issued for upgradation of 56514 Mini-AWCs in 14 States/UTs.

Recently, under PM-JANMAN in convergence with Ministry of Tribal Affairs to saturate the provision of schemes for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), 916 new Anganwadi Centres have been allocated to States/UTs.

States/UTs have been requested to ensure that proper staff is available in the Anganwadi Centres and to adopt a uniform retirement date i.e. 30 th  April of each year with respect to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers to ensure proper human resource planning.

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