On Friday, 21 December, Lok Sabha was informed by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Virendra Kumar that there are 24 lakh staffers who work in anganwadis across India. Currently, over two lakh posts for the workers and helpers at anganwadis are vacant.

For the beneficiaries, a package comprising of immunisation, health check-up, supplementary nutrition, referral services, health education and pre-school non-formal education are being provided.

In a written reply, he said that about 1.09 lakh positions are vacant for anganwadi workers and 1.18 lakh for helpers, Deccan Herald reported. The vacancies are highest in Bihar as 53,000 positions are unoccupied.

Apart from the above, 86.15 per cent of anganwadis are functioning on concrete buildings, while 13.85 per cent are running it using make-shift building. There are about 13.63 lakh anganwadis in India.

Deccan Herald quoted Kumar as saying, “The government has made provision of funds for providing medicine kit of Rs 1,500 per annum for anganwadi centres and Rs 750 per annum for mini-aganwadi centres and other administrative expenses under anganwadi services are Rs 2,000 per annum for anganwadi centres and Rs 1,000 per annum for mini-anganwadi centres.”