Kendrapada: The Centre has approved the construction of 1,639 anganwadi centres (AWCs) in Odisha under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with an allocation of Rs 19.67 crore, Union minister of state for women and child development Savitri Thakur informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.Replying to a question from Rajya Sabha member Subhasish Khuntia, Thakur said the initiative is part of the Centre’s Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programme. She said 40,000 anganwadi centres have been approved nationwide under MGNREGS, with 10,000 centres sanctioned each year. Under the funding pattern, Rs 8 lakh per centre is provided through MGNREGS, Rs 2 lakh through the 15th Finance Commission or other untied funds, and another Rs 2 lakh is shared by the Centre and states/Union Territories through the ministry of women and child development.Under the PM JANMAN initiative for the development of tribal communities, Odisha has been sanctioned 89 AWCs with an allocation of Rs 10.68 crore, Thakur said. The Centre has approved funds for drinking water and sanitation facilities at anganwadi centres in the state. Odisha has received approval for drinking water facilities in 6,965 AWCs, with an allocation of Rs 17.82 crore. Toilets have been sanctioned for 16,575 AWCs at a cost of Rs 24.59 crore.Thakur said that under Mission Poshan 2.0, two lakh anganwadi centres functioning in govt buildings are being upgraded into Saksham anganwadis at the rate of 40,000 centres annually. The upgraded centres will have facilities like LED screens, water filtration systems, Poshan Vatikas, early childhood care and education learning materials, and Building as Learning Aid paintings. In Odisha, 12,140 AWCs were approved for conversion into Saksham anganwadis, with a total allocation of Rs 72.84 crore, she added.
