Two lakh anganwadi posts lie vacant in the country: WCD
New Delhi, Dec 21: There are over 24 lakh anganwadi staffers working across various centres in the country, and two lakh posts for anganwadi workers and helpers are lying vacant, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday.
Minister of State for Women and Child Development Ministry Virendra Kumar said a package of six essential services comprising supplementary nutrition (SNP), immunisation, health check-up, referral services, pre-school non-formal education and nutrition and health education are provided to the targeted beneficiaries.
About 1.09 lakh anganwadi worker positions are vacant, while 1.18 lakh positions for anganwadi helpers are unoccupied, he said in a written reply.
He also said a total of 12.8 lakh anganwadi workers and 11.6 lakh anganwadi helpers are working across the country.
Bihar has the highest number of vacant anganwadi posts, with 53,000 unoccupied positions, he said.
Out of the total number of anganwadi centres, 86.15 per cent of them, which is about 12.83 lakh, are running from concrete buildings, the remaining 13.85 per cent are operating from make-shift buildings, he said, adding there are 13.63 lakh operational anganwadi kendras in the country.
"The government has made provision of funds for providing medicine kit of Rs 1,500 per annum for anganwadi centres and Rs 750 per annum for mini-anganwadi centres and other administrative expenses under anganwadi services are Rs 2,000 per annum for anganwadi centres and Rs 1,000 per annum for mini-anganwadi centres," he said.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
