Shillong: The Centre has sanctioned funds for setting up 266 new anganwadi centres and the upgradation of 1,266 mini-anganwadi centres in Meghalaya, the state’s Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh said on Friday (October 6). Thanking Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani for the funds, he said it is a major achievement for the state government. “We had about 1,500 villages that weren’t covered by anganwadi facilities,” Minister Lyngdoh said.
The 1,266 mini-anganwadi centres will now be upgraded to full anganwadi centres, which will result in an increase in the number of workers and helpers in each of these centers, he said.
Also Read: 43 Lakh Children In Anganwadi Centres Identified As Obese Or Overweight: Data
Instead of one, each centre will now have two workers and helpers, he said, adding that the upgradation will also mean that the honorarium of the anganwadi workers will be increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,500 per month and the appointment of 51 women supervisors. The minister said,
The total fund requirement comes to Rs 8.26 crore, of which 7.43 crore is the central share and Rs 82.46 lakh is the state share. Some of the conditions put forward by the Centre will be met by the state government.
Minister Lyngdoh said that for the new anganwadi centres, 266 anganwadi workers and 266 helpers will be hired. He said,
Supplementary nutrition will be provided to beneficiaries for 300 days in a year as per guidelines issued by the Centre from time to time.
The state will take immediate steps for recruitment and training of functionaries, and procurement of goods and equipment so as to ensure that all the centres become operational at the earliest, minister Lyngdoh said.
Also Read: Out Of 5.6 Crore Kids, 43 Lakh Found Malnourished By Poshan Tracker In February: Centre
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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