Tamil Nadu anganwadi centres can now be constructed and renovated using funds under the Member of Legislative Assembly Constituency Development Scheme, following a government order that takes effect from the current financial year.
The change has been incorporated into the MLACDS guidelines for 2026–27 and allows MLAs to recommend works for new anganwadi centres as well as upgrades to existing facilities, based on infrastructure needs in their constituencies.
The order was issued following a recommendation from the commissioner of rural development and panchayat raj, principal secretary Dhamendra Pratap Yadav said in the government order. It expands the local infrastructure works that legislators can propose under the constituency development scheme.
MLACDS already permits the construction and repair of government educational institutions, including schools and colleges, along with the creation of community assets. The revised provision adds anganwadi-related works to the list of permissible projects, linking constituency-level funding to the availability and condition of local service infrastructure.
Tamil Nadu has allocated ₹828 crore to MLACDS for the current financial year. The allocation provides ₹3.54 crore for each of the state’s 234 Assembly constituencies. MLAs may recommend projects intended to improve public infrastructure, expand access to services and address local development priorities within their constituencies.
Under the revised guidelines, the decision on where anganwadi-related works are proposed will be made at the constituency level through recommendations from elected representatives. The provision covers both the construction of new centres and the renovation of existing ones, although the government order does not specify a statewide target for the number of centres to be built or upgraded.
The move places anganwadi infrastructure within a broader framework of constituency-funded public works alongside schools, colleges and community assets. Its implementation will depend on the identification of local infrastructure requirements and the subsequent recommendation of eligible works under the 2026–27 MLACDS guidelines.
