Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Odisha Plans Focused Nutrition Action Across 18 Districts
Odisha is starting a focused programme to help children and mothers get better nutrition.
It will work in 18 districts, including nine districts identified as aspirational by NITI Aayog.
Workers will try to find nutrition problems early and provide the right help.
The programme will closely watch children using a digital Poshan Tracker.
Babies, young children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and teenage girls will receive special attention.
Children with severe malnutrition will get specialised nutrition support.
The programme will also provide nutritious food, vitamins, fortified food and nutrition education.
Odisha plans to spend Rs 360.68 crore on the mission over two years.
Odisha has created a nutrition action plan covering 18 districts and nine intervention areas.
The Odisha Nutrition Mission will prioritize early detection, support, education, nutritious food and evaluation.
The programme covers 23,088 Anganwadi centres, including centres in priority, low-performing and Maoist-affected areas.
Special attention will go to children in their first 1,000 days, low-birth-weight newborns, vulnerable children and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
Odisha has proposed Rs 360.68 crore for the mission during 2026-27 and 2027-28.
- Who
- The Odisha government, led in the meeting by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, along with Anganwadi and nutrition programme officials.
- What
- A focused Odisha Nutrition Mission action plan addressing malnutrition through nine intervention areas.
- When
- The roadmap was discussed on Sunday; proposed funding covers 2026-27 and 2027-28.
- Where
- The meeting took place at Lok Seva Bhawan, and the programme will operate across 18 Odisha districts.
- Why
- To identify nutritional deficiencies early and provide timely support to vulnerable children, mothers and adolescent girls.
- Districts covered
- 18 districts, including Angul, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur and Sundargarh.
- Strategic areas
- Nine areas: early identification, support, education, nutrition enhancement, nutritious food, behavioural awareness, analysis, evaluation and improvement.
- Anganwadi coverage
- 23,088 centres, including 22,707 under 100 priority ICDS projects, 222 relatively poor-performing centres and 159 Gramodaya centres.
- Priority groups
- Children in the first 1,000 days of life, low-birth-weight newborns, vulnerable children, pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
- Digital monitoring
- The Poshan Tracker will be strengthened to monitor children’s nutritional status and support data-based corrective action.
- Proposed funding
- Rs 360.68 crore for 2026-27 and 2027-28.
- Related infrastructure work
- The Samrudha Anganwadi Yojana will support completion of unfinished centres, boundary walls and new centres near residential areas.