Bhubaneswar: In another step towards State’s Vision of ‘healthy child & healthy mother’, Odisha Government has approved an Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP) of around Rs.2548.37 cr for integrated child development services for the year 2021-22.
This was approved in the State Level Empowered Committee meeting held on digital mode under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Suresh Chandra Mahapatra in Lokseba Bhawan today wherein Principal Secretary Women & Child Development Smt Anu Garg outlined the financial and administrative issues for discussion.
Giving nod to the proposed APIP, the Chief Secretary directed to develop the Angawadis to the next higher level through district-specific plans. Mahapatra emphasized safe electricity, toilet, drinking water, and ‘learning through playing’ facilities for the children. The care of drop-out adolescent girls in the age group of 11 to 14 was also emphasized by the Chief Secretary. The department was directed to have Aadhaar linking of all the adolescent girls included under the ‘scheme of adolescent girls’.
Principal Secretary Smt. Anu Garg said, “Presently four broad programmes namely Sakshyama Anganwadi services, Supplementary nutrition, Scheme for adolescent girls and Poshan are being implemented through 338 ICDS projects with fund sharing from State and Central Government”.
Director Social Welfare Arabind Agrawala appraised, “Now around 35.08 lakh children are under the fold of Anganwadis. Besides, around 7.32 lakh pregnant and lactating women along with 13,082 adolescent girls are also being served through AWCs of these projects”.
Available data show, APIP for 2021-22 has been estimated around Rs.2548.37 cr out of which around Rs.2341.43 cr is meant for Anganwadi services including supplementary nutrition, uniform medicine kit equipment, etc for the children; Rs.7.42 cr is for the care of adolescent girls in the age group of 11-14 years; and, Rs.199.52 cr is for Poshan programme.
The principal components of adolescent girl care scheme include nutrition support at the rate of Rs.9.50 per girl for 300 days. Besides, Rs.1.10 lakh per project is invested towards the supply of iron-folic acid supplement, health check-up and referral services, nutrition and health education, mainstreaming out of school girls to join formal schooling through bridge course, skill training, life skill education, home management, counseling/guidance on accessing public services, etc. The main activities under Poshan programme include IEC, behavior change communication, incentives, and awards for better performance, observance of different days and occasions associated with nutrition and children, digitization of all the registers maintained at Anganwadi centers, and, tracking of the real-time information through mobile phones.
Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena, Principal Secretary Finance Ashok Kumar Meena, Principal Secretary School and Mass Education Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Secretary Energy Nikunja Bihari Dhal along with Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and senior officers from concerned departments participated in the deliberations.
