GANGTOK, Aug 7: Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba has urged the Centre for immediate steps to improve the infrastructure of Anganwadi centres (AWCs) in rural, tribal and high altitude regions of the Himalayan state.
A statement from the MP’s office said on Thursday that Subba, in a representation to Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitra Thakur, has underscored the pivotal role Anganwadi Centres play under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme—delivering early childhood education, nutrition, and maternal health support.
However, he said, many AWCs across the country, especially in geographically challenging areas like Sikkim, continue to function from temporary or substandard structures that lack essential facilities such as child-friendly classrooms, safe kitchens, functional toilets, and secure boundary walls.
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The lone Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim expressed concern over the inadequacy of the current unit cost norms for AWC construction. He said that the existing budget allocations are insufficient to build durable, climate-resilient structures in hilly terrains due to significantly higher construction and transportation costs and limited working seasons.
Subba emphasised the urgent need to revise unit cost norms to enable quality infrastructure development that meets the needs of children and Anganwadi workers, the statement said.
The MP has urged for increasing unit cost allocations for construction in hilly and Himalayan states like Sikkim to reflect cost inflation and address logistical difficulties.
He also asked for prioritising permanent infrastructure in rural and remote areas where AWCs still operate in makeshift or rented facilities and design flexibility to accommodate local geo-climatic conditions and include child-centric, weather-insulated infrastructure. (PTI)
