Now Reading: Odisha Cabinet clears Rs 883 crore for two child welfare schemes
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Odisha Cabinet clears Rs 883 crore for two child welfare schemes
The Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved the continuation of two child welfare schemes for five years, from FY 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a combined outlay of Rs 883.49 crore. The decision was…
The Story in Brief
The Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved the continuation of two child welfare schemes for five years, from FY 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a combined outlay of Rs 883.49 crore. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The Cabinet approved Rs 296.99 crore for the Jashoda scheme and its sub-scheme Ashirbad, which support children without biological parents, those with incapacitated parents, HIV-affected children, and children who lost their primary breadwinner during COVID-19. It also cleared Rs 586.51 crore for the Malati Devi Prak Vidyalaya Paridhan Yojana, which provides uniforms, shoes, socks and sweaters to about 14.76 lakh pre-school children aged 3-6 years through anganwadi centres. Revised unit costs include two pairs of uniforms at Rs 175 per pair for boys and Rs 225 per pair for girls, along with shoes, socks and a sweater.
The Indian Opinion
Two child welfare schemes renewed at Rs 883 crore sounds generous, but the finer print matters. The Jashoda scheme's five-year outlay of Rs 296.99 crore works out to roughly Rs 60 crore a year for children who are orphans, HIV-affected or pandemic-bereaved. That is a thin cushion for a state with high child malnutrition. The uniform scheme, at Rs 586.51 crore, is straightforward and measurable. The real test will be whether Anganwadi centres actually deliver the promised items on time, year after year. Watch the quarterly expenditure reports and the number of orphan certificates issued. That will reveal whether this is welfare or just paperwork.
Sources (2): odishatv.in, odishatv.in (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
