AP Assembly Discusses Anganwadi Progress and Challenges

The 14th day of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly session commenced with a debate on Anganwadi centres. Pendurthi MLA Panchakarla Ramesh Babu raised concerns over the incomplete state of some Anganwadi buildings, questioning the progress of ongoing projects. Telugu Desam MLA Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdhury also voiced his observations, highlighting that surprise inspections revealed only five children present in some centres. He noted the programme's significance, citing employment opportunities and the provision of drinking water in Kadiyam mandal’s Anganwadis.

Minister Gummidi Sandhya Rani responded, providing detailed updates. She stated that out of 55,746 centres across Andhra Pradesh, 21,756 are housed in government-owned buildings, 10,556 in government facilities, and 23,424 are in rented premises. She added that construction work is ongoing on 2,922 buildings, with 948 nearing completion, supported by Rs. 4 crore allocated for this purpose. The minister further mentioned that Rs. 193 crore would be sufficient to complete all pending constructions.

Addressing the welfare of Anganwadi workers, Minister Sandhya Rani assured that workers would receive gratuity after reaching 62 years of age. She also highlighted the distribution of copper and jowar as nutritional support, and noted that Anganwadi workers now have official station recognition, leading to increased attendance and engagement at centres.

The minister also reported improvements in facilities, including toilets at 9,240 centres, drinking water at 11,400 centres, and the provision of indoor games and educational charts. She revealed that the attendance rate has risen from 70 to 93 percent, making Andhra Pradesh the top state in the country for Anganwadi participation.

She announced salary hikes for Anganwadi workers, from Rs. 4,200 to Rs. 11,500, and mentioned that the government has fulfilled nine of ten demands made by workers. Additionally, Rs. 75 crore worth of 5G phones were distributed to centres. Minister Sandhya Rani assured that all issues faced by Anganwadis would be addressed promptly.