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Sitharaman told Parliament that two-lakh anganwadis across India would be upgraded under the scheme. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced an increase in the budgetary allocation of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) from Rs 23,700 crore in the 2021-’22 Budget Revised Estimates (RE) to Rs 25,672.2 crore.
However, an expert pointed out that not only had the ministry’s flagship Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programme not seen an increase in its budgetary allocation but the funds earmarked also failed to meet the pre-pandemic levels.
Sitharaman told Parliament that two-lakh anganwadis across India would be upgraded under the scheme. “There is a lack of clarity in the finance minister’s announcement that anganwadis will be upgraded. What does this entail, and where is this money coming from, considering there have been no increases in the Budget?” asked Centre for Policy Research Fellow Avani Kapur who has authored a report according to which the Rs 20,105 crore earmarked for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 in 2021-22 was lower than the Budget Estimates (BEs) the year before for the erstwhile Integrated Child Development Services. In this Budget, the government allocated Rs 20,261.07 crore, compared to the 20,105 crore earmarked in 2021-22. “This was lower than the sum of its components in the 2020-21 BEs, which stood at Rs 24,557 crore,” said Kapur.
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