SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has missed out on new Anganwadi Centres under the Centre’s MGNREGA-linked scheme, as the Union government has not received any proposal from the UT administration.
Official documents reveal that the central government launched a plan to build 50,000 new AWCs across the country over five years, with 10,000 centres planned each year.
Each AWC under the plan is to be funded through a combination of central and state schemes. This includes Rs 8 lakh from MGNREGA, Rs 2 lakh from the 15th Finance Commission or other local funds, and an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The funding is shared between the Centre and the respective states or UTs.
However, JK has not received approval for any new centres because it has not submitted any proposals to the Centre, officials said. In contrast, several other states have already secured approvals.
Bihar has received clearance for 6,155 AWCs, Uttar Pradesh for 7,013, and Telangana for 2,279. Even smaller states like Mizoram and Meghalaya are on the list.
The central government has also advised all states and UTs to seek funds from multiple sources, including MP and MLA development funds and contributions under Corporate Social Responsibility, to aid in the construction of AWCs. (KNO)
