Source: Union Ministry of State for Labour and Employment
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 26
Of the 500 Anganwadi-cum-Crèche Centres (AWCCs) approved for Nagaland under the Maternity Benefit Act, only 150 are currently operational, according to data presented in Parliament.
Further, a total of 2,564 children were availing benefits at those AWCCs, as per state-wise data provided by the Union Ministry of State for Labour and Employment in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on July 24.
The AWCCs are meant to provide care facilities for children of working mothers as mandated under Section 11A of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017.
In terms of coverage, Nagaland’s 150 operational crèche centres are catering to 2,564 registered beneficiaries. While this places Nagaland ahead of several larger states that reported no functioning centres, it still reflects a shortfall from the sanctioned number.
Across India, a total of 14,599 AWCCs have been approved, but only 2,448 are operational, serving over 36,000 beneficiaries.
Among the better-performing states nationally are Haryana, with 289 operational centres; Karnataka with 248; and Delhi with 267. In contrast, states such as Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Maharashtra have not reported a single operational crèche despite having received approvals.
In the NE region, Nagaland ranks third in terms of beneficiaries reached, following Mizoram and Meghalaya. Mizoram has fully operationalised all its 200 approved centres, supporting over 4,000 children. Tripura and Sikkim have also achieved complete implementation, with all their approved crèches functional. Meghalaya has 78 centres running out of more than 1,200 approved. Meanwhile, Manipur, despite having over 700 approved crèche centres, reported none as operational.
The reply further noted that the Ministry of Women and Child Development implements Palna (Anganwadi-cum-Crèche – AWCC), through the active participation of States and Union Territories. The primary objective of the scheme is to provide quality crèche facilities in a safe, secure and nurturing environment along with nutritional support, health, cognitive development, growth monitoring, immunisation and early education to children (aged 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers, regardless of the nature of their employment, thereby enabling them to pursue gainful employment.
The WCD has also issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), National Minimum Standards, and a protocol for the Palna Scheme. These outline essential norms, quality parameters, and responsibilities for setting up and operating the crèches, with regular reviews conducted at national, state, and district levels.
Meanwhile, the Labour Ministry informed that the Government does not maintain centralised data in respect of firms employing more than 50 employees and where crèches are established.
