58,204 workers benefitted

1. AP Govt distributed 58,204 5G smartphones to Anganwadi staff to enhance maternal, child and nutrition services, replacing ineffective older 4G devices.
2. Women & Child Welfare Dept achieved A++ ranking with 98% service delivery, reflecting major improvement under current leadership.
3. Musthabbu initiative to go state-wide, alongside proposals for scheme eligibility expansion and continued upgrades of Anganwadi centres.

The Andhra Pradesh government has distributed 5G smartphones to 58,204 Anganwadi workers, supervisors and block coordinators, aiming to deliver faster and more efficient services to pregnant women, new mothers and children. Women and Child Welfare and Tribal Welfare Minister Gummidi Sandhyarani formally launched the initiative at the NTR Collectorate.

The government has spent Rs 75 crore on the smartphone distribution. Speaking at the event, Minister Sandhyarani said the earlier 4G devices supplied by the previous government were ineffective, prompting the current administration to shift to modern 5G-enabled phones. She noted that nearly 1.25 lakh personnel are serving across 55,204 Anganwadi centres, ensuring doorstep delivery of nutritional and early childhood services.

The Minister highlighted that in the Chief Minister’s department-wise performance review, the Women and Child Welfare Department secured an A++ category ranking, achieving 98 percent service delivery, placing the department fourth in the state. She credited this improvement to collective effort since the department had ranked last when she assumed office.

Sandhyarani announced that the successful ‘Musthabbu’ initiative, piloted in Parvathipuram Manyam district to creatively engage and prepare children, will soon be expanded statewide. She reiterated that Anganwadi workers’ wages were significantly increased during Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s earlier tenure, rising from Rs 1,200 to Rs 11,500 despite financial constraints.

She said proposals have been submitted to extend eligibility for government schemes to Anganwadi teachers and ASHA workers in rural areas. The state has already upgraded 5,000 mini Anganwadis into main centres, with plans to convert the remaining centres once workers attain Class 10 qualifications.

The Minister urged workers not to resort to street protests, assuring that the government is committed to supporting them with infrastructure grants, new uniforms, and improved wages for helpers. Women and Child Welfare Secretary A. Surya Kumari noted that while national Anganwadi attendance averages 70 percent, Andhra Pradesh stands at 96 percent, reflecting strong community trust.

Senior officials, including Director M. Venugopal Reddy and ICDS Project Director Sheikh Ruksana Sultana, participated in the programme.