4,000 model anganwadi centres sanctioned: Minister Ajanta Neog

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: State Women and Child Welfare Minister Ajanta Neog informed the State Assembly today that 4,000 model anganwadi centres were sanctioned in the state, and the government would rationalize the anganwadi centres that have less than ten children each.

The opposition moved a cut motion in the State Assembly on grants from the Social Welfare Department. Responding to the cut motion, Neog said this.

The Assembly witnessed a heated exchange during the cut motion, leading Deputy Speaker Dr Numal Momin to adjourn the House for five minutes.

During the discussion, CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar said that the State government provided only two model anganwadi centres in his LAC. He said that this was an injustice done to his constituency by the minister.

The statement from the CPI(M) MLA led to a ruckus in the House when the legislators from the Treasury bench opposed it. Sometimes, nothing was heard distinctly inside the House, and that led the Deputy Speaker to adjourn the House for five minutes.

When the House resumed, independent MLA Akhil Gogoi said that the government sanctioned fewer model anganwadi centres in the constituencies held by opposition MLAs than those held by legislators of the ruling party.

Responding to the cut motion, Ajanta Neog said, "We did draw a roadmap to take the department forward in the last two years. The state has around 61,000 anganwadi centres with very poor infrastructure. The State Government took the decision to develop its infrastructure in phases. In phase 1, we constructed 1,000 model anganwadi centres. Since maternal and infant mortality rates are high in tea estate areas, the 1,000 anganwadi centres of phase 1 were mostly from tea estates. I felt that the construction of the 1,000 anganwadi centres was smooth. I don’t know if anywhere in the country model anganwadi centres are being constructed so smoothly. Union Minister Smriti Irani did praise us for erecting such centres in a medium-level state like Assam. We have a target of setting up 20,000 model anganwadi centres in the state and have sanctioned 4,000 of them so far."

She further said, "Now, we have sanctioned 20 model Anganwadi centres to each of the LACs in the state. To know this, the MLAs need to keep in touch with the deputy commissioners. We wrote letters to the deputy commissioners in regard to the sanctioning of new model anganwadi centres last week. Some anganwadi centres have less than ten children. We will rationalize them. Our officers are visiting such centres. However, such rationalization will not cost the jobs of anganwadi workers and helpers."

She further said, "The Prime Minister laid stress on the adoption of anganwadi centres. I appeal to the MLAs to adopt at least one anganwadi centre each. They can celebrate the birthdays of their children in such centres as per their capacity. The MLAs should visit such centres for better monitoring. This is because the government wants to uplift poor women and children. The government has also laid stress on rich nutrition for women and children."

She said that the State budget has an allocation of Rs 200 crore to bring about awareness against child marriage and Rs 90 crore for terminal benefits for anganwadi workers and helpers. "Assam is the only state in the country that gives Rs 4 lakh to each anganwadi worker and Rs 3 lakh to each anganwadi helper as retirement (terminal) benefits," she said.

Also read: Budget aims at resurgent Assam: Finance Minister Ajanta Neog

Also Watch: