Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida inaugurated a series of multi-faceted schemes and campaigns under the Women and Child Development Department at Lok Seva Bhavan Convention Hall.
She emphasised that women’s empowerment is the key to a developed Odisha and highlighted the government’s priority to provide a safe, equal, and respectful environment for women and children.
Key Initiatives Launched
- 100-Day Campaign Against Child Marriage: A state-wide program to strengthen awareness, education, and protection through community participation, youth leadership, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, and institutional platforms.
- Pilot Project to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy: In collaboration with UNICEF, Mayurbhanj district will implement a program to support adolescent mothers with integrated assistance in health, nutrition, education, social security, re-enrollment, and skill development.
- “Ame Padhiba Ama Bhasare” Scheme: A five-year plan aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 to provide early childhood education in mother tongues for children aged 3–6. The pilot phase will cover Keonjhar, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri districts in languages such as Munda, Kui, Saura, Kuvi, Gondi, and Koya. Anganwadi workers will receive language-specific training and educational materials.
- Infrastructure Development: Inauguration of residential quarters for ICDS staff in Kandhamal and Boudh districts, and the new State Institute for Women and Children (SIWC) building at Barpali, Bargarh district, to strengthen training and capacity building.
Voices from the Event
Chief Secretary Shubha Sharma joined virtually, stressing the importance of mother-tongue education in character building. Senior officials, including Monisha Banerjee, NC Jyotiranjan Nayak, Sumitra Kumari Pattnayak, Ananta Narayan Singh Laguri, and Arabinda Pattnayak, participated along with representatives from UNICEF, Piramal Foundation, Pratham Foundation, and SALSA. District Collectors and Anganwadi workers across Odisha also joined virtually, sharing grassroots perspectives.
Deputy CM Parida urged communities to make “Ame Padhiba Ama Bhasare” as popular as the “Subhadra Yojana” and called for transforming Anganwadis into centres of attraction.
