Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to new lease of life to as many as 23,510 Anganwadi Centre which are running in rented buildings. The Andhra Pradesh government which is converting the anganwadi centres as foundation schools has chalked out a strategic plan to construct own buildings to the centres in a phased manner. Accordingly, in the first phase 3,500 buildings will be constructed on war footing basis.
The government issued orders by allotting Rs.16 lakh to construct each building. The proposed new building for the anganwadi centre will be constructed in the area of 814 square feet. The orders stated that each anganwadi centre in the new building will have one kitchens, toilets and spacious play ground.
The State government has handed over the construction works of 3,500 new buildings to the housing department on priority basis with an estimated cost of Rs. 560 crore. The responsibility of monitoring the construction work has been shouldered to the authorities of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
The state government has approved the proposals and estimations submitted the officials concerned in this regard. The official sources said that the construction works of new buildings to the proposed 3,500 anganwadi centres will be launched very soon.
According to the official statistics, as many as 55,607 anganwadi centres have been functioning under 257 ICDS projects in the state out of which 22,000 centres are running in own buildings. Another 10,6000 centres have been functioning from the buildings of government schools and village panchayat offices. Remaining anganwadi centres are running in rented buildings.
The state government has almost completed the modernization of anganwadi centres funning from own buildings across the state.
