First modernised anganwadi centre to be set up in Haryana village

NEW DELHI: Ministry of Women and Child Development is all set to launch the country's first modernised Anganwadi Centre (AWC) at Hasanpur village in Haryana, which will be replicated at 4,000 other places and is likely to change the face of government's 40-year-old children and women-oriented scheme.

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi will inaugurate the anganwadi on June 24.

Being the focal point for delivery of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the ministry aims at transforming these centres, which accommodate around 50 children in daytime everyday, by making them equipped with latest facilities.

This model AWC is built on public-private partnership and has far better facilities than the traditional centres, including kitchen, dinning area and playground for children.

"This will be a completely modern centre. It will have all the latest facilities like kitchen for cooking fresh food for children, a proper dining area and a playground," a senior ministry official said.

As many as 4,000 model anganwadis are proposed to be set up under this project by the ministry.

"The idea is to bring a transformation in the infrastructure that serves as the main centre for providing services for children and women. They are running in terrible conditions at present," the official said.

As per the ICDS scheme guidelines, an AWC must have a separate sitting room for children/women, separate kitchen, store for food items and dedicated space for children to play.

It was, however, noted in a recent audit by the government that most of the centres lacked essential infrastructure for maintenance of hygiene and sanitation.

Many of them were also found working under trees, in open spaces, dilapidated buildings and temporary structures.

AWCs were started by the government in 1975 as part of the ICDS programme to combat child hunger and malnutrition.

Through these centres, government provides a package of six services including supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-up, pre-school, non-formal education and health and nutrition education.