Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to making Odisha a healthier and more prosperous state by eradicating malnutrition. Addressing the State-Level Poshan Pakhya-2025 event at the Women and Child Institute in Bhubaneswar, the Chief Minister announced the establishment of the ‘Odisha Pushti Mission’, a focused initiative backed by an initial grant of ₹100 crore aimed at improving nutrition for women and children across the state.
He further stated that the government has allocated ₹284 crore in the current budget to provide nutritious food under the Poshan Abhiyan. “A healthy child is the foundation of a bright future. Our new government has prioritized nutrition. The Odisha Pushti Mission will provide the necessary impetus to achieve our goal of zero malnutrition by 2036,” Majhi said.
In another significant move, the Chief Minister announced an increase in the financial assistance for girl children under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, raising the amount from ₹10,000 to ₹12,000. He urged Anganwadi workers and supervisors to play a vital role in addressing malnutrition at the grassroots level, not only by delivering nutrition but also by focusing on early childhood education.
Majhi also emphasized the importance of a ‘Whole of Government Approach’ involving departments such as Health, Education, Panchayati Raj, and Women and Child Development to ensure the effective implementation of the Poshan Abhiyan. He called for collective awareness and action to create a malnutrition-free Odisha.
The event also saw the inauguration of several new facilities at the State Women and Child Institute, including an 84-bed hostel, a library hall, and an Anganwadi training centre. The Chief Minister announced that eight buildings of the institute would be named after distinguished women of Odisha. The auditorium hall has been named Sarala Devi Auditorium, the library as Kamala Pujari Library, the training room as Sailabala Das Training Room, the new hostel as Malati Choudhury Nivas, the Anganwadi worker hostel as Bangara Devi Nivas, the guest house as Gurubari Jani Guest House, and the conference hall will be named after Ramadevi.
During the event, Majhi also presented awards to District Social Welfare Officers for outstanding work in maintaining nutrition standards in their respective districts. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Parvati Parida, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, and other senior officials.
The Poshan Pakhya, observed from April 8 to 22, aims to generate a statewide movement for the elimination of child malnutrition. With strong leadership, targeted funding, and active community participation, the government hopes to achieve zero percent malnutrition in Odisha by 2036.
