Shimla: The Himachal government has urged the center to relax norms for opening of aganwari and mini anganwari centres because of isolated habitations existing in difficult topographical terrain.
Sarveen Chaudhary, minister for social justice and empowerment said, “relaxing the norms for the hill state would enable a larger section of the population to benefit from the central aided scheme.
Speaking at meeting of ministers and secretaries in Delhi, Chaudhary said that for hill areas an aganwari should be opened for a population of 150 persons and a mini-aganwari for a population of 50 to 100, where as the existing norms only allowed these basic institutions for a population of 300 and 150 respectively.
Besides seeking an enhancement of the monthly honorarium for anganwari workers, the minister urged the center to provide adequate funds for modern technological equipments in the anganwari centres.
She said that there needed to be a regular budget provision for maintenance of anganwari centres and the infrastructure built under ICDS program. “Overall development of the children could be ensured if only basic facilities were available,†she said.
Chaudhary asked for increasing the centre contribution towards the nutrition budget from 50 to 75 percent for hilly region.
For working women, the minister sought funds for maintenance of working women hostels.
