Shillong, Oct 31: Some 1,700 villages that do not have an Anganwadi centre will get one by the end of the fiscal year.
This was informed today by Paul Lyngdoh MLA, adviser to the Social Welfare Department (a department he headed before the recent cabinet reshuffle).
The government has rolled out a comprehensive plan to strengthen its social welfare initiatives, with a focus on expanding Anganwadi centre coverage, improving child nutrition, enhancing safety measures for women and girls and upgrading basic infrastructure across the state.
Lyngdoh said the new measures stemmed from a detailed review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday. The meeting, attended by senior officials and representatives of the drug-reduction DREAM Mission, assessed ongoing programmes and finalised a fresh plan of action to improve the department’s outreach and efficiency.
“One of the major decisions taken was to ensure that all uncovered villages, those without Anganwadi centres, are brought under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) network,” Lyngdoh said. “We have roughly 1,700 such villages and by March 2026 the entire state will have full Anganwadi coverage.”
The state’s Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) will also see an upgrade. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned Rs 20 crore per year to support the enhanced SNP, which will cover both hot-cooked meals and take-home rations for children.
Lyngdoh said the improved diet plan will now include two hot meals a day and two eggs per week for children aged 3 to 6. “Wherever there is a funding gap, the state government will supplement it to ensure uninterrupted implementation,” he added.
Acknowledging the infrastructural challenges faced by many centres, Lyngdoh announced that 2,000 Anganwadi centres will be upgraded by the end of this year. These centres will be “communitised”, transitioning from government to community ownership, and equipped with solar panels to overcome electricity shortages.
“We will integrate learning and recreational activities in these centres, and begin a pilot project in 200 locations,” he said, adding that community mobilisation efforts will also involve faith-based organisations to strengthen early childhood care and education (ECCE).
On school infrastructure, he said the government, in collaboration with the Rural Development Agency (RDA) and Education Department, will upgrade and construct toilets in schools across Meghalaya, beginning within the next three months.
