Odisha Expands Poshan Mission to 18 Districts, 23,088 Anganwadi Centres

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to intensify its nutrition interventions with a targeted focus on 18 districts and 23,088 Anganwadi centres under the Odisha Poshan Mission, aiming to improve the health and nutritional well-being of children, women and adolescents.

The implementation strategy was reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Lok Seva Bhawan on Saturday. The meeting stressed early detection of malnutrition, timely intervention and stronger monitoring of nutrition programmes through digital platforms.

Garg directed departments to adopt a mission-mode approach and ensure that nutrition services reach beneficiaries effectively. She also called for faster completion of unfinished Anganwadi buildings under the Samruddha Anganwadi Yojana and construction of new centres in areas where they are required.

Of the 23,088 centres covered under the mission, 100 priority ICDS projects have been identified in the targeted districts, while 22,707 centres have been classified as underperforming based on the Poshan Index. Another 159 Gramoday Anganwadi centres in Maoist-affected areas have also been included.

The programme will cover Angul, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur and Sundargarh. Nine aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog will also be brought under the initiative.

The mission will prioritise the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, along with early identification of low birth weight, stunting and severe underweight. Digital monitoring through the Nutrition Tracker will be strengthened to enable timely identification and follow-up of vulnerable children.

Under the Suposhit Odisha Mission, interventions will focus on improving access to nutritious food, addressing micronutrient deficiencies, food fortification and strengthening nutrition awareness at the community level.

Pregnant and lactating women, adolescents and severely malnourished children will receive additional nutritional support. The government also plans to strengthen quality monitoring through geo-tagged visits, live dashboards, independent evaluations and food-quality testing.

The proposed outlay for the Odisha Nutrition Mission for 2026-27 and 2027-28 stands at Rs 360.68 crore. The allocation will support nutrition programmes, awareness campaigns, monitoring, surveys, food testing and micronutrient-related activities.

Infrastructure improvement will form another important component of the initiative. Officials have been asked to expedite completion of incomplete Anganwadi centres, while new centres will be established closer to settlements to improve accessibility. Fencing will also be taken up in the next phase to enhance safety.

The government aims to combine technology, targeted interventions and improved Anganwadi infrastructure to deliver more effective nutrition services and accelerate progress towards a malnutrition-free Odisha.