Centre allocats funds for AWCS in NE

Agartala, Aug 11 (UNI) The Ministry of Women and Chld Development, which has been focusing on special requirements of the North East, has initiated a special programme for construction of 'pucca' buildings to Anganwdi Centres (AWCs) during the 10th five year plan under the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS).

The entire N E region receives heavy rainfall for period of about six months following which Anganwadi functionaries faces immense problems in providing services to children and mothers.

Hence the union ministry had taken steps to construct pucca buildings in the region, official sources said here today.

The ministry had sanctiond 4800 AWCs in 2001-02, 7600 centres in 2002-03 and 7600 centres in 2004-05 for construction of pucca buildings at an estimated cost of Rs 1.25 lakh per AWC. Rs 241 crores had already been released for consruction of 20,000 WCs upto 2004-05.

Following feedback from state governments, the unit cost for construction of each centre has been revised to Rs 1,75,000 and during the 2005-06 fiscal Rs 300.54 crores has been sanctioned for construction of 17,174 AWCs and Rs 129.27 crores has been released, sources said.

In its first phase works, construction of 37,174 AWCs is expected to be completed before March next year ensuring provision of pucca buildings in all the AWCs sanctioned upto July last year, as remaining centres are already in pucca buildings.

During the second phase, a programme has been propared for construction of 11,776 AWCs in the entire N E region and the Ministry of Women and Child Developments has planned for provision of pucca buildings to all centres.The scheme is being monitored at the highest level by both the Union Ministry and respective state governments of the region.

The Integrated Child Development Service is being implemented in all the states of NE which have 5,652 number of ICDS projects and 42,999 number of AWCS till July last year, sources informed.

UNI PD PL rd 1305