Bhubaneswar: Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Tuesday inaugurated the five-year plan “Ame Padhiba Aama Bhasare” at the Convention Hall, Lok Seva Bhawan, along with several other initiatives under the Department of Women and Child Development. The event also included a program for signing consent forms for key schemes.
Addressing the gathering, Parida said, “Women’s empowerment is central to a developed Odisha. Ensuring a safe, equal, and respectful environment for women and children remains a priority for the state government.”
She emphasised the importance of coordination among departments, community participation, and effective implementation at the grassroots level in areas such as mother-tongue-based early education, child marriage prevention, adolescent health, and social protection.
The “Ame Padhiba Aama Bhasare” scheme, aligned with the National Education Policy–2020, will provide early education in the mother tongue to children aged 3–6 years. In its first phase, the program will be implemented in six districts—Keonjhar, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri—in languages including Munda, Kui, Sora, Kuvi, Gondi, and Koya. Anganwadi workers will receive language-specific training, teaching materials, and audio-visual content to enhance learning outcomes. Parida urged efforts to make the scheme known in every household and said it would also make Anganwadis more attractive to children.
In addition, the Deputy CM launched a 100-day state-level campaign to prevent child marriage, aimed at promoting girl child education and safety through community engagement, youth leadership, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, and local institutions. The campaign will feature bicycle rallies, awareness programs in schools and colleges, and digital initiatives to strengthen public outreach.
A pilot program in Mayurbhanj, implemented in collaboration with UNICEF, will provide integrated support to adolescent mothers and prevent teenage pregnancies. The initiative will offer assistance in health, nutrition, education, social protection, re-skilling, and skill development and is expected to serve as a model for other districts.
Parida also inaugurated the new administrative building of the State Institute for Women and Children (SIWC) in Barapali and residential quarters for ICDS field officers in Boudh and Kandhamal districts, aimed at strengthening departmental training and capacity building.
The event saw participation from senior officials including Principal Secretary Shubha Sarma, Director Monisha Banerjee, Additional Secretaries N.C. Jyotiranjan Nayak, Sumitra Kumari Pattnaik, and Ananta Narayan Singh Laguri, OSLSA Member Secretary Aurobindo Pattanaik, UNICEF CFO Prasanta Dash, and representatives from Piramal and Pratham Foundations. District Collectors, District Social Welfare Officers, and Anganwadi workers from all districts of Odisha joined virtually. Mayurbhanj and Malkangiri District Collectors briefed attendees on ground-level conditions and the expected impact of the schemes.
Parida concluded, “These initiatives are designed to empower women, strengthen child education, and ensure holistic development at the grassroots level. Odisha is committed to creating a future where every child and woman can thrive safely and equally.”
