Bhubaneswar: In a major push to strengthen early childhood care and nutrition services, all 74,224 Anganwadi centers in Odisha will be upgraded into Saksham Anganwadis under the Anganwadi Abhiyan Mode. The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida during the virtual inauguration of 913 newly constructed Anganwadi centers on Tuesday.
The event, organized jointly by the Women and Child Development Department and the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, was hosted at the WCD Department’s conference hall in Bhubaneswar.
Highlighting the significance of Anganwadi centers as the grassroots backbone of women and child welfare, Parida said, “After a long wait, 913 Anganwadi centers in the state now have their own dedicated buildings.” She urged district collectors to prioritize centers in dilapidated condition and ensure their timely renovation. She also noted the overwhelming public participation in the “Asa Buliba Anganwadi” campaign, which saw more than 2.99 lakh people joining in, making it a mass movement.
Joining the programme virtually from Sambalpur, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik stressed the government’s commitment to improving infrastructure in all Anganwadi centers, with a focus on cleanliness and access to safe drinking water. He described Anganwadi centers as the foundation for building a “Viksit Odisha by 2036 and a Viksit India by 2047.”
Anganwadi workers and assistants from across the state participated virtually, expressing gratitude to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy CM Parida for the new facilities.
The programme was attended by Monisha Banerjee, Director of the WCD Department, Arup Kumar Sahu, Additional Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department, as well as district collectors, chief development officers, BDOs, DSWOs, CDPOs, and other senior officials who joined online from their respective districts.
