Bhubaneswar: More than 20,000 Anganwadi centres in Odisha are yet to function from their own premises and the state government is making efforts to ensure dedicated infrastructure for them, the Assembly was informed on Saturday.
This was stated by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida while answering a question in the House. Odisha has a total of 74,224 Anganwadi centres, of which 54,074 centres operate from their own buildings, she said.
However, 20,150 centres still lack permanent structures. Construction work is currently underway for 7,389 centres, while 10,416 mini Anganwadi centres have already been converted into main centres, said Parida, who holds Women and Child Development portfolio.
In the absence of dedicated facilities, many centres are functioning from alternative spaces. While 4,574 centres are operating from school premises, 10,469 are functioning from community centres, and 3,890 from rented houses, she said, adding that all centres will eventually have their own buildings.
Highlighting the state’s infrastructure push, Parida said that under the Saksham Anganwadi programme, construction costs have increased from Rs 7 lakh earlier to Rs 15 lakh per unit. Where land is unavailable, plots will be purchased through the Panchayati Raj department. The Women and Child Development Department is funding the construction independently.
The Deputy CM further stated that 12,144 centres have already been upgraded to Saksham Anganwadi centres, including 5,056 in FY 2024-25. In the current supplementary budget, provision has been made for 10,900 new constructions, underscoring the government’s commitment to strengthening grassroots childcare and nutrition services across the state.
