Bhubaneswar: In a major push to strengthen early childhood care infrastructure, the Odisha government on Thursday inaugurated 1,889 newly built Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) across all 30 districts.
The inauguration was carried out virtually by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also holds the Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism portfolios. The event was attended by Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik at the state’s Women and Child Development conference hall.
Emphasising the government’s commitment to improving service delivery at the grassroots, Parida reiterated the vision of building “Sundar, Sakhyam, Sudrudha Anganwadi” — focusing on centres that are aesthetically developed, capable and structurally strong. She also interacted with officials from multiple districts, including Balasore, Ganjam, Cuttack, Angul and Deogarh, to review construction progress and ensure timely completion of remaining projects.
Naik highlighted the importance of sustained investment in early childhood infrastructure, noting that children enrolled in these centres would contribute significantly to Odisha’s long-term development goals, including the state’s vision for 2036.
The large-scale rollout of Anganwadi centres, according to an official release, was made possible through coordinated efforts between the Women and Child Development Department and the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, ensuring better implementation at the district level.
Senior officials, including Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, Dr Mrinalini Darswal, were present at the programme. District collectors, chief development officers and field-level functionaries from all 30 districts joined the event virtually.
