During the winter session, the Odisha Assembly highlighted a critical issue as 20,150 Anganwadi centres still lack permanent buildings.
Meanwhile, 54,074 of the state’s 74,224 centres already run in their own facilities.
Deputy Chief Minister and Women & Child Development Minister Pravati Parida announced that the government has converted 10,416 mini Anganwadi centres into full centres. Furthermore, she explained that 4,574 centres continue inside school premises, 10,469 operate from community halls, and 3,890 still function from rented houses.
She assured lawmakers that the government will soon provide permanent buildings for all Anganwadi centres in Odisha. In addition, she stated that the Panchayati Raj Department will purchase land wherever space is unavailable, ensuring no centre remains without its own facility.
Next, Parida responded to a question raised by BJD MLA Aswini Patra. She emphasised the government’s commitment to strengthening grassroots facilities for children and women. Moreover, she highlighted that 12,144 Anganwadi centres have already been upgraded into Saksham Anganwadi Centres, which deliver enhanced services.
Looking ahead, she revealed that in the 2024–25 financial year, the government will convert 5,056 more centres into Saksham centres. Finally, she confirmed that the supplementary budget has allocated funds to construct 10,900 new Anganwadi buildings, marking a significant step toward improving infrastructure.
