Centre to upgrade 5,008 ‘Anganwadi’ centres in Telangana at ₹30.04 crore

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy on Sunday said that the Centre has decided to upgrade 5,008 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) in Telangana as ‘Saksham Anganwadis’ at a cost of ₹30.04 crore.

In a press release, the Minister said the Ministry of Women and Child Development, under the ‘Mission Saksham Anganwadi’ and ‘Poshan 2.0’ scheme, is strengthening nearly two lakh ‘Anganwadi’ centres housed in government buildings across the country to ensure improved nutrition and early childhood care and education.

Students at an anganwadi centre in Sangareddy.
| Photo Credit:
MOHD ARIF

The upgraded ‘Saksham Anganwadis’ will be equipped with enhanced infrastructure compared to conventional centres. Facilities include LED screens, water filtration systems, ‘Poshan Vatika’ (nutrition gardens), early childhood education material, and Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) paintings, he said.

Mr. Reddy said the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) provides nutritional support to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children, and is primarily designed to bridge the gap between the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Average Daily Intake (ADI).

Fortified rice is being supplied to Anganwadi centres to meet micronutrient requirements and to control anaemia among women and children. Greater emphasis is also being laid on the use of millets at least once a week in the preparation of hot cooked meals and take‑home rations at ‘Anganwadi’ centres, he said.

District‑wise, the upgraded centres include 948 in Medchal–Malkajgiri, 509 in Bhadradri–Kothagudem, 365 in Karimnagar, 298 in Sangareddy, 278 in Jangaon, 238 in Siddipet, 232 in Narayanpet, 226 in Kamareddy, 180 in Suryapet, 176 in Rangareddy, and 171 in Rajanna–Sircilla.

Other districts include 156 in Nalgonda, 153 in Wanaparthy, 130 each in Mahabubnagar and Medak, 107 in Jagtial, 105 in Komaram Bheem–Asifabad, 90 each in Vikarabad and Nizamabad, 66 in Peddapalli, 65 in Hanumakonda, 54 in Warangal, 51 in Nagarkurnool, 50 in Jayashankar Bhupalpally, 47 in Bayyaram, 29 in Adilabad, 18 in Yadadri–Bhuvanagiri, 17 in Mulugu, 15 in Jogulamba–Gadwal, 10 in Hyderabad, nine in Nirmal and three in Mahabubabad, the release added.