A total of 1,949 Anganwadi Worker and 1,232 Anganwadi Helper posts are now lying vacant in the State, informed Women and Child Development Minister Usha Devi in the State Assembly on Wednesday.
The Minister, in response to a question of BJD MlA Prafulla Samal and Congress MlA Kailash Chandra Kulesika, too informed that while a total of 71,306 Anganwadi and Mini Anganwadi Centres are operating in the State now, the Government has issued directions to open more 1,281 AWC and Mini AWCs at different places soon.
While a total of Rs 75,859.68 lakh was spent under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme through these AWCs and Mini AWCs in 2015-16, the amount spent in the preceding year was `68,238.38 lakh, the Minister informed.
During last year, the Union Government and the State Government had provided `37,421.34 lakh and 37,929.84 lakh, respectively, for implementation of the SNP programme, the Minister added.
A total of 35,45,639 children between the ages of six months to 6 years are involved in the ACWs and Mini AWCs and they are being supplied supplementary nutrition food for 25 days a month, she said.