Bhubaneswar: Odisha has stepped up efforts to combat malnutrition and strengthen early childhood care, with the state government focusing on upgrading Anganwadi infrastructure, completing unfinished centres and expanding digital monitoring under the Odisha Nutrition Mission (ONM).
The strategy was discussed at a high-level meeting on the implementation of the ONM, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Lok Seva Bhavan Sunday.
Garg stressed the need to strengthen Anganwadi centres across the state to improve nutrition and service delivery.
She called for the early completion of unfinished buildings under the Samruddha Anganwadi Yojana, construction of new centres where needed, and safe, secure and child-friendly spaces for children.
A major focus of the meeting was improving the nutritional status of mothers and children and eliminating malnutrition through a mission-mode approach.
The ONM will be implemented alongside the Mukhyamantri Sampurna Pushti Yojana, with special focus on 18 districts identified as facing severe malnutrition.
These districts are Anugola, Debagada, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur and Sundaragada.
Nine aspirational districts identifi ed by NITI Aayog have also been brought under the mission’s focus.
Under the Odisha PUSHTI Mission, 23,088 Anganwadi centres have been brought under priority intervention, including centres under priority ICDS projects, poorly performing centres identified through the PUSHTI Index, and Gramoday Anganwadi centres in Maoist-affected areas.
The initiative will also give special attention to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).