Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida officially inaugurated 491 new Anganwadi centers across the state on Wednesday. The new facilities aim to significantly bolster rural development efforts. These centers are crucial for community welfare. Ganjam district received the highest number of new buildings as part of this statewide expansion.
Anganwadi Centers: A Core for Development
Anganwadi centers serve as fundamental community institutions in rural Odisha. They are vital for grassroots development. These centers deliver essential services at the village level. Such services include early childhood education. They also focus on providing health services to young children. Overall development of children is a key objective. Women’s health programs also operate through these facilities. Minister Rabi Narayan Naik emphasized that the quality of available infrastructure directly impacts these critical services. Strong infrastructure ensures effective program delivery.
Government’s Commitment to Infrastructure
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida underscored the state government’s firm commitment. This commitment targets reinforcing development at the village level. A primary focus lies on robust Anganwadi infrastructure. The government places special emphasis on empowering these centers. This empowerment comes through providing essential facilities. Key provisions include comprehensive sanitation systems. Functional, accessible toilets are a priority. Access to safe drinking water is also ensured. Reliable electricity supply forms another vital component. These facilities aim to create more effective and supportive environments for children and women.
Statewide Phased Development
Officials have confirmed a total of 1,404 Anganwadi centers have been strengthened so far. This strengthening occurred in two distinct phases. The first phase saw the inauguration of 913 Anganwadi centers . These centers began operations in September. The current inauguration of 491 centers represents the completion of the second phase. This systematic rollout expands critical community services across Odisha.
Distribution of New Centers by District
The 491 newly inaugurated Anganwadi center buildings were distributed across 25 districts. Ganjam district received the largest allocation of these new facilities. It opened 111 new centers . Balasore followed with a substantial number, inaugurating 63 new centers . Bargarh district added 36 centers to its network. Jagatsinghpur saw 34 new centers open. Bhadrak district gained 28 new facilities . Cuttack and Puri districts each received 24 new centers . Khurda district had 23 centers inaugurated. Jajpur district added 20 new buildings .
| District | Number of New Centers |
|---|---|
| Ganjam | 111 |
| Balasore | 63 |
| Bargarh | 36 |
| Jagatsinghpur | 34 |
| Bhadrak | 28 |
| Cuttack | 24 |
| Puri | 24 |
| Khurda | 23 |
| Jajpur | 20 |
The remaining new buildings were inaugurated in 16 other districts statewide. This widespread distribution ensures Anganwadi services reach more communities.