3 min readBhubaneswarUpdated: Feb 17, 2026 05:36 AM IST
After running with zero attendance for three months over the appointment of a Dalit helper-cum-cook, an anganwadi centre at Nuagaon in Odisha’s Kendrapada district recorded almost a healthy attendance on Monday as villagers agreed to send their children following the administration’s intervention.
“I am happy that the parents have brought their kids to the anganwadi centres and assured that they will send them every day. I want them to avail the facilities provided by the government and study well, as they are the future of this village and country,” said Sarmista Sethi, the 21-year-old who had faced the boycott.
There had been almost no visitors to the anganwadi centre since November 20, when she officially joined as a helper-cum-cook, and even parents of children under three years and a lactating mother, who are entitled to take home rations from the centre, had stopped coming.
After multiple rounds of meetings – the latest was on Saturday – an awareness drive and an outreach exercise by the district administration, the villagers seemed to relent.
On Monday, 15 of the 20 children aged three to six enrolled at the centre came and had food cooked by Sarmita. Parents of younger children also agreed to take home the ration provided by the government. Local BJD MLA Dhruba Sahoo and senior officials visited the village and accompanied the children to the centre.
Kendrapada Child Development Project Officer Deepali Mishra said, “It will send a positive message to the society. Senior district administration officials have assured to fulfil the villagers’ demands, like a permanent space for the anganwadi centre.”
Nuagaon resident Govardhan Pradhan said the villagers came around after Saturday’s meeting and that such an incident will not happen again.
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Kendrapada MP Baijayant Panda, who visited the centre on Sunday and shared a meal with locals and community leaders, wrote on X, “Delighted at children having a nutritious meal today at the Nuagaon Anganwadi, which I had reviewed yesterday and had a wonderful lunch along with local leaders and villagers. It was heartening to see the community coming together to ensure great beginnings for their children.”
Sarmista, the first graduate from her community, was the only person from her village to apply for the job, which pays a modest Rs 5,000 per month. Though she is overqualified for the position, she hopes to use the money to help her family financially and to further her ambitions of becoming a teacher. She is doing a long-distance diploma in early childhood care education in preparation for that.
