Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Friday reviewed the state’s time-bound action plan for Women and Child Development, emphasising effective implementation, interdepartmental coordination and measurable outcomes.
Chairing a review meeting at the Women and Child Development Department’s conference hall in Bhubaneswar, Parida announced that a state-level summit focusing on four key thematic areas would be organised soon to discuss priorities and accelerate implementation.
The state’s goals have been formulated following the Departmental Summit convened by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi on October 8 and 9, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Four Key Focus Areas Identified
Odisha has identified four priority areas in alignment with the Centre: nutrition and early childhood development, child protection under Mission Vatsalya, women’s safety and women’s empowerment.
Parida stressed the need for robust monitoring and accountable implementation to ensure that government interventions deliver tangible benefits to women and children.
Focus on Nutrition and Child Protection
Under nutrition and early childhood development, the state aims to improve the quality of take-home rations and hot-cooked meals, strengthen monitoring through the Poshan Tracker and ensure early identification and referral of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The action plan also seeks to improve Early Childhood Care and Education services and make Anganwadi Centres more conducive to preschool learning.
Under Mission Vatsalya, the government will prioritise family-based care, identify vulnerable households, strengthen rehabilitation and aftercare support, and improve child-protection monitoring systems.
Strengthening Women’s Safety
The state plans to strengthen One Stop Centres and Women Helpline 181 through better coordination among police, healthcare, legal and rehabilitation services.
Preventing child marriage through community participation and targeted campaigns in 12 high-prevalence districts will also be a priority. Workplace safety measures under the POSH framework and SHe-Box will be strengthened.
Boosting Women’s Economic Empowerment
The government will expand crèches and hostels for working women, strengthen Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and improve coordination between the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and Odisha’s Mamata scheme.
A Women’s Economic Empowerment Framework will be implemented across all 30 districts to monitor women’s employment, earnings and entrepreneurship.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary Mrinalini Darswal, Director Monisha Banerjee and other senior officials attended the meeting.