Telangana govt to roll out mobile anganwadi units in Hyderabad

The Telangana government is planning to introduce mobile anganwadi centres to provide nutritious food and other services to eligible beneficiaries in underserved slums and residential areas of Hyderabad. Official sources said on Thursday that the Women and Child Welfare Department has been facing difficulties in establishing new anganwadi centres in the city due to high population density, frequent migration and the unavailability of suitable buildings in several localities. A recent departmental survey identified 25,310 children, pregnant women and lactating mothers within the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits as eligible for anganwadi services. However, these areas currently lack such facilities. State Women and Child Development Minister D Anasuya Seethakka has emphasised that no eligible beneficiary should be deprived of nutritious food and other services under the anganwadi programme, sources said. Addressing nutritional deficiency is one of the key goals of the state government's 'Telangana Rising 2047' vision, they added. Officials have accordingly prepared proposals to hire 37 vehicles to cover 274 slum clusters under the mobile anganwadi initiative. The mobile units will be attached to the nearest anganwadi centres and will distribute nutritious food and provide other related services to beneficiaries. The proposed programme is estimated to cost Rs 4 crore annually. Proposals for its rollout have been submitted to the competent authorities, and the scheme will be launched after receiving approval, sources added.