Lok Sabha Question No. 4820 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Basic Infrastructure in AWCs in Tribal Areas of Maharashtra
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Bhaskar Murlidhar Bhagare

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4820

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026

## BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN AWCS IN TRIBAL AREAS OF MAHARASHTRA

## 4820. SHRI BHASKAR MURLIDHAR BHAGARE

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

- (a) the number of Anganwadi Centres which are operating without functional toilets and/or safe drinking water facilities in tribal areas of Maharashtra, district-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted a physical verification or third-party audit of basic infrastructure facilities in Anganwadi Centres located in Scheduled Areas and tribal habitations of the State, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  delays  due  to  land  ownership  issues,  remoteness  of  habitations,  or  lack  of maintenance arrangements have affected infrastructure provisioning in tribal Anganwadi Centres, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the time-bound corrective measures proposed to ensure that all Anganwadi Centres in tribal regions of Maharashtra have functional toilets and potable drinking water?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  The  district  wise  number  of  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  operational  in  the  State  of Maharashtra  under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  &  Poshan  2.0  with  functional  toilet  and drinking water source are available at the link: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics.
- (b)  Third-party  evaluations  and  impact  assessments  of  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and Poshan 2.0 was conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020 and also in 2025 and they have found its relevance to be satisfactory for tackling malnutrition in the country.
- (c)  and  (d)  Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  various  steps  have  been undertaken to improve the infrastructure facilities at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). During 15th Finance Commission cycle, 50,000 Anganwadi Centres are being constructed @10000 AWCs

per  year  in  convergence  with  MGNREGS  wherein  Rs.8.00  Lakh  is  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 shared between Centre and States and UTs in the prescribed cost sharing ratio.

Further, States and 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, Multi- Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) of Ministry of Minority Affairs, etc.

Various other initiatives have been undertaken for construction of AWCs under PM JANMAN and  Dharti  Abha  Janjatiye  Gram  Utkarsh  Abhiyan  for  the  targeted  development  of  Tribal population  and  VVP  (Vibrant  Village  Programme)  -  Phase  I,  focusing  on  Northern  border areas.

Also,  in  order  to  improve  the  infrastructure  facilities  at  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.

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