more-in An Anganwadi centre evokes in mind the image of a tiny, dingy, single-room mother-and-child care centre, tucked in some corner. Started in 1985 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services to combat child hunger and malnutrition, these “courtyard shelters” (the meaning of Anganwadi in Hindi) have come a long way. In Andhra Pradesh, these centres have started attracting public attention, thanks to the facelift being given by the district administrations. In Krishna district, the authorities have developed a model Anganwadi centre at Atkuru village of Unguturu mandal and the new structure generates interest for the vibrancy it exudes. The building looks like a gated structure with a compound wall with inspiring quotations written on it; a big classroom and an adjoining dining space, especially for pregnant women and lactating mothers. Besides play equipment to keep the children here happy and engaged, it has a splash pond, a duck pond and a kitchen garden. CSR initiative “We developed this model Anganwadi centre in an area of 10 cents at a cost of ?13 lakh. We used ?5 lakh from the NREGS funds, ?2 lakh from the gram panchayat funds while the lion’s share of ?13 lakh was raised by the corporate sector as part of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility),” said Krishna district Collector B. Lakshmikantham. The government is now relying on the CSR wing of the corporate bodies, which have been contributing liberally in many schemes. The district authorities have developed two models — moderate and high-end, the first one would cost ?13.5 lakh and the second one ?20 lakh. Instead of concrete compound walls, the ‘moderate’ centres will have iron bars painted in bright colours.

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