Anganwadi scheme: States spend more than double the Centre's sanctioned amount

The total expenditure incurred by the states under anganwadi expenditure scheme was more than double the amount of funds released by the Centre in 2016-17, the Rajya Sabha was told today.

Under the anganwadi expenditure scheme, funding for anganwadi services is provided across the country, Minister of State for the Women and Child Development Ministry Virendra Kumar told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

An amount of Rs 14 lakh was incurred under the scheme but the amount released by the central government was Rs 6.8 lakh in 2016-17, Kumar said.

In 2015-16 too, the expenditure reported was Rs 14.8 lakh while the funds released were Rs 8 lakh, he said.

The Anganwadi Expenditure Scheme was one of the schemes launched by the Centre under the Poshan Abhiyan which aims to achieve reduction in stunting from 38.4 per cent (National Family Health Survey 2015-16) to 25 per cent by 2022. .