Anganwadi workers in Guj to be provided 5G smartphones by govt
Updated: Apr 6th, 2024
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| Anganwadi Worker |
To equip the Anganwadi workers with modern technology, the Gujarat government is set to provide them with 5G smartphones under the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 schemes.
The state government will incur a cost of ₹58.32 cr to provide this facility at Anganwadi centres.
The Centre has issued the National Nutrition Mission guidelines for the same. These guidelines mention a provision made to provide smartphones to Anganwadi workers and supervisors working in Anganwadi centres to enhance their services through real-time monitoring using a digital platform.
The central government has made a provision to purchase smartphones under the scheme at a limit of ₹10,000 per unit.
An order issued by the state’s Women and Child Development Department said that out of the ₹58.32 cr approved in this scheme, 60%, i.e., ₹34.99 cr, are to be allocated by the central government and 40%, i.e., ₹23.33 cr, by the state government.
Provisions for beneficiaries
Under the Poshan Abhiyan, smartphones were earlier purchased and given to Anganwadi centres, which have reportedly stopped working now. Following this, the new purchases are to be made.
The purchase is being made on the centre’s order; however, the state government has sought permission to allocate the amount under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme instead of purchasing smartphones, which will be credited directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries once approval is received.
This assistance will be provided only within the mandated limit for the beneficiaries. At present, there are 53,029 Anganwadis in the state, of whom 38,403 reside in their buildings and 14,626 in rented ones.
The total number of female workers working in the Poshan Mission is set to touch 1.04 lakh.
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