Odisha Launches Angan Ka Utsav, Raises Clothing Allowance for Anganwadi Workers

Bhubaneswar: Odisha on Friday launched the three-day ‘Angan Ka Utsav’ campaign to strengthen nutrition, health awareness and early childhood development services, alongside two measures aimed at easing the administrative burden on Anganwadi workers and helpers.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida virtually inaugurated the campaign from the Conference Hall of the Women and Child Development Department and announced an increase in the clothing allowance for Anganwadi Workers and Helpers from ₹1,390 to ₹1,500.

Under the revised provision, the Centre will contribute ₹600 while the Odisha government will provide ₹900. With a budgetary provision of ₹22.30 crore, around 1.48 lakh Anganwadi Workers and Helpers across the state are expected to benefit from the enhanced allowance.

Parida also launched DIPTI (Direct Invoice Payment & Tracking Interface), a digital system for managing electricity bills of Anganwadi Centres. With this initiative, the Women and Child Development Department has become the first department in Odisha to introduce a system of this kind for streamlined electricity bill management, according to the department.

Developed jointly by the department and DISCOMs, DIPTI will enable digital verification, direct payment and tracking of electricity bills. The system is intended to remove the financial and administrative responsibility of paying electricity bills from Anganwadi Workers and help ensure uninterrupted power supply at the centres.

Speaking at the programme, Parida said reducing administrative work would allow Anganwadi Workers to devote more time to nutrition, healthcare and early childhood development services for children and mothers.

She also highlighted the role of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers in delivering government services at the grassroots and called for greater participation of families and communities in programmes focused on children’s nutrition, health and overall development.

The ‘Angan Ka Utsav’ will be observed from September 27 to 29 across all 74,224 Anganwadi Centres in Odisha. It is being organised as part of the ongoing Poshan Maah, observed from September 9 to October 8, and the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, running from September 17 to October 17.

Around 37.11 lakh beneficiaries and Anganwadi Management Committee members, along with 13.03 lakh children aged between three and six years, are expected to participate in the three-day campaign.

The first day, September 27, will focus on nutrition and food-related activities. Families will showcase ‘Poshan Pitha’, while fathers will participate in cooking competitions using locally available ingredients.

The second day will focus on children, with recreational activities, games and storytelling sessions. Reading materials such as ‘Ama Kunipila’ and ‘Mo Bikash Patra’ will be showcased, while children will be served lassi, locally available fruits and millet cookies.

The campaign will conclude on September 29 with discussions on government schemes and initiatives, including POSHAN, SUBHADRA, MAMATA, PM-AWAS and ADVIKA. A healthy ‘Tiranga Thali’ meal will also be arranged for Anganwadi and ASHA workers.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department Dr Mrinalini Darswal, Director Monisha Banerjee, TPCODL CEO Gajanan S. Kale and senior officials from the department and TPCODL attended the inauguration.

The department urged families, community members and other stakeholders to actively participate in the three-day campaign and use it as a platform to strengthen community involvement in nutrition, health and child development services.