Odisha launches 913 new Anganwadi Centres to boost child development, nutrition, healthcare, and education across 30 districts, strengthening ICDS services
OdishaPlus Bureau
On Tuesday, the Odisha government inaugurated a total of 913 newly built Anganwadi Centres across all 30 districts of the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida officiated the opening of these centres, which are designed to improve early childhood education, nutrition, and healthcare access for rural and underserved communities. Officials reported that Kalahandi had the highest number of new Anganwadi centres, totaling 90. This was followed by Balasore with 77, Ganjam with 72, Puri with 68, Khordha with 61, and Nayagarh with 56.
They indicated that the inauguration of additional Anganwadi Centres reflects the state government’s dedication to enhancing grassroots-level services under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
These centres will function as essential hubs for providing nutrition, immunization, preschool education, and health check-ups to children under six years of age and to pregnant or lactating women. This initiative is anticipated to significantly enhance Odisha’s performance in child development metrics and decrease malnutrition rates.
The initiative represents a significant step in Odisha’s continuous efforts to broaden its social welfare infrastructure, particularly in remote and tribal areas.
District-wise allocation of new Anganwadi Centres includes:
Angul (35), Balasore (77), Bargarh (44), Bhadrak (34), Balangir (23), Boudh (11), Cuttack (26), Deogarh (5), Dhenkanal (18), Gajapati (14), Ganjam (72), Jagatsinghpur (37), Jajpur (19), Jharsuguda (18), Kalahandi (90), Kandhamal (22), Kendrapara (17), Keonjhar (18), Khordha (61), Koraput (34), Malkangiri (8), Mayurbhanj (7), Nabarangpur (26), Nayagarh (56), Nuapada (10), Puri (68), Rayagada (18), Sambalpur (12), Sonepur (16), and Sundargarh (17).