Odisha cabinet approves 79,033 smartphones for anganwadi workers

The Odisha government has approved the procurement and distribution of 79,033 smartphones to anganwadi workers, lady supervisors, and block coordinators to enhance monitoring of maternal and child nutrition, officials said on Sunday. The ₹93.13 crore initiative is designed to bolster the use of the Poshan Tracker digital platform for real‑time beneficiary registration, daily data entry, growth monitoring , tracking of supplementary nutrition distribution and documenting early education activities, officials added. The cabinet decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday night.

In a related move to strengthen early childhood services, Mr Majhi announced that Anganwadi pre‑school classes will be merged with Sishu Vatika centres to streamline foundational learning under a unified system, improve resources, and enhance educational outcomes.

The cabinet also approved the Mukhyamantri Hastatanta Bikasha Yojana (MHBY) , a ₹589.10 crore scheme for holistic development of the handloom sector over five years, aiming to support weavers with infrastructure, market linkages and skill development.

A comprehensive flood management scheme with an outlay of ₹2,781 crore was cleared to protect lives, villages and agricultural land, promote sustainable flood practices , and enhance preparedness over the 2025‑30 period.

The cabinet approved termination of the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation , with the state to bear ₹273.51 crore already spent, and sanctioned redevelopment of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla at ₹926.96 crore .

In a major boost to food security, the cabinet approved the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana , under which beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act and state schemes will receive an additional 5 kg of rice per person per month free of cost beyond their regular entitlement.

The state also decided to dispose of 1 lakh metric tonnes of surplus rice through open market auctions, with the government bearing any loss, and to revive Badamba Cooperative Sugar Industries Ltd under the Industrial Policy Resolution, 2022.

The cabinet further approved expanded reservation in higher and technical education , doubling seats for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and introducing quotas for Other Backward Classes, aiming to enhance inclusion and empowerment in professional courses.