Industry Odisha Bureau, April 5: In a move to strengthen the Poshan Abhiyaan, the Odisha Government has decided to distribute 79,033 smartphones for Anganwadi Workers, Lady Supervisors, and Block Coordinators-Poshan.
This decision was taken at the State Cabinet meeting held last evening. The Cabinet led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has decided to procure 79,033 smartphones for the Anganwadi Workers at a total cost of Rs 93.13 crore, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said.
These devices will enable efficient tracking and management of several Poshan Abhiyaan activities, including beneficiary registration, daily data entry into the Poshan Tracker, monitoring of supplementary nutrition distribution, growth measurement, and pre-school education, she said.
Additionally, the Face Recognition System (FRS) will be used for the distribution of Take-Home Rations, Garg said.
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Government of India, smartphones are issued every four years to Anganwadi Workers, Lady Supervisors, and Block Coordinators (Poshan) to ensure effective monitoring of the nutritional status of mothers and children, and enhance service delivery under Poshan 2.0 and the Saksham Anganwadi initiative.
The State Cabinet led by the Chief Minister has decided to terminate the agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project.
The decision follows the recommendations of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), which, after a detailed review, highlighted key feasibility challenges including non-compliance with the National Metro Rail Policy (2017), below-threshold traffic demand, and low ridership projections, she informed.
The Cabinet approved the expenditure of Rs. 273.51 crore incurred on the project till December 31, 2025. The IMC has been authorized to recommend any future liabilities or expenditures related to the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project to the Chief Minister for necessary decisions.
The government plans to repurpose the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) as a nodal agency to manage inter-departmental coordination for the ongoing Sustainable Urban Mobility Transition Plan in Odisha and may also utilize it as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for future mobility projects in the State.
The Cabinet noted that continuing the project in its current form could have resulted in recurring annual operating losses. Moving forward, the government will leverage Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance to prepare a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri Paradeep Economic Region (BCPPER).
This plan will focus on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Multi-Modal Integration (MMI), and inclusive, sustainable mobility solutions to ensure long-term viability, the Chief Secretary said.
