Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will soon set up a crèche at the Lok Seva Bhawan as a welfare measure for employees working at the state Secretariat. The facilities at the proposed crèche can be used by the employees on a payment basis.
A notification issued by the Odisha Women and Child Development Department said that about 10 to 15 children in the age group of six months to six years will be taken in on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, preference will be given to children in the six months to three-year-old age category.
The crèche will remain open from 9:30 am to 7.00 pm on all working days and will remain closed on government holidays. Parents will be required to pay a one-time registration fee of Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,500 on the 5th of every month.
Facilities To Be Offered
- Nurturing, responsive and inclusive environment
- Clean hygienic environment
- Dedicated, well-trained Crèche Sahayika for the safety and care of the children
- Development & age-appropriate activities
- Child-friendly toys/books/play activities
- Child-friendly toilets, first aid and medical facilities
- Refrigerator, microwave, water filter
- Waiting area and breastfeeding corner for mothers
- Also, the crèche will be under CCTV surveillance.
Guidelines For Parents
Parents will be required to drop the children at the crèche as there are no pick-up and drop facilities. They will be allowed to visit their child any time and pick them up latest at 6.30 pm. No other visitor will be allowed inside the crèche except in exceptional cases and only with the written permission of either of the parent
It is worth mentioning here that the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) had asked the state government in March 2022 to open a crèche in offices that have more than 50 women employees. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, was amended in 2017 to provide crèche facilities in establishments employing 50 or more employees.
