State government to spend 800 crore

Rampa Chodavaram: Minister for Women Development and Child Welfare Peethala Sujatha said that the State government is spending Rs 800 crore to provide nutritious food to women and children through Anganwadi centres. She took part in the statewide week-long celebrations of nutritious food held under the aegis of Women and Child Welfare department in here on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, Peethala Sujatha made it clear that every rupee being released by the State government to provide nutritious food through Anganwadi centres should reach the beneficiary and warned of stern action if the funds were misused.

She said that salaries of Anganwadi workers and helpers were increased to the tune of Rs 710 crore. Stating that the State government has been taking steps to reduce the burden of Anganwadi workers, she mentioned that the government gave retirement benefits for Anganwadi workers.

As malnutrition cases are high in the agency area, she said that the week-long celebrations are being held at Rampa Chodavaram locally. She claimed that the State government is making efforts to fulfil the promises in the last two-and-half-years.

She explained that the government constituted a committee on nutrition mission by recognising children suffering from
malnutrition and to make them healthy by providing nutritional supplementary food. She mentioned that 57,600 Anganwadi centres are being run in the State through 257 projects.

Stating that the State government had decided to construct new buildings for 35,000 Anganwadi centres, she explained that funds were released for 7,000 new buildings with Rs 7.50 lakh for each building.

She informed that a pre-fabricated building was constructed as pilot project in Eahalapadu in Rampa Chodavaram mandal and added that this kind of building would be constructed everywhere.