PNS|Hyderabad
Women and Child Welfare Minister Seethakka on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive roadmap to transform Anganwadi centres across Telangana into vibrant, child-friendly spaces that rival private playschools in quality.
Participating in the Medho Madana Sammelan 2025 at the Telangana State Institute of Rural Development (TSIRD) campus in Rajendranagar, she praised the efforts of Anganwadi staff and assured them of structural and systemic reforms.
Inspecting stalls set up by district wings of the Women and Child Welfare Department, Seethakka lauded the creativity behind new teaching materials designed to attract children.
“Every item here reflects creativity. We will ensure these learning kits reach every Anganwadi centre,” she said. The materials were developed by women’s groups and are intended to improve cognitive development among children aged 3 to 6.
In a symbolic gesture, she tasted Balamrutham and Anganwadi-distributed snacks, and asked officials to switch packaging from pouches to more user-friendly boxes.
She also visited stalls showcasing tribal food prepared by Anganwadi workers from Adilabad and appreciated their efforts to bring native nutrition into children’s diets. “These are not just foods, but heritage meals,” she said while interacting warmly with supervisors and volunteers.
At the Sangareddy stall, she reviewed educational tools and games curated to improve mental development in young children. Later, she launched a preschool video designed to integrate primary education within Anganwadi centres and initiated a plantation drive by planting native saplings on the TSIRD campus.
During her address to department officials and field staff, Seethakka issued a series of announcements and directives. She urged Anganwadi teachers and helpers to work with integrity to ensure a 25% jump in admissions.
Drawing parallels with formal schooling, she suggested introducing bells to structure the daily schedule. “This creates discipline and brings joy to children,” she said.
She emphasised that suggestions collected from the Sammelan would be compiled and discussed with experts to shape future reforms.
She promised green channel salaries for Anganwadi staff, filling of 14,000 vacancies soon, and continued rollout of retirement and promotion benefits. “We have already given promotions to mini Anganwadi teachers. We will soon clear the delay in recruitment due to SC categorisation,” she assured.
On the nutrition front, Seethakka proposed including egg biryani once or twice a week in the Anganwadi menu and pledged to make meals more palatable. She asked supply teams to blacklist vendors providing substandard materials and emphasised caution while giving boiled egg to children.
Highlighting the Anganwadi staff’s role in combating child marriage, she called upon them to raise awareness and ensure no marriage takes place under their watch.
“Your work shapes the country’s future,” she declared. She also promised modern mobile phones for Anganwadi teachers and benches for pregnant women visiting centres.
The other key initiatives are:
Rs 50 crore annual allocation for assistive devices for persons with disabilities
Distribution of fortified millet-based snacks for adolescent girls under ‘Indiramma Amrutam’
Aadhaar enrolment support for orphaned children
New recruitment of transgender traffic assistants to promote dignity and inclusiveness
Seethakka said that during her government’s tenure, Anganwadis have evolved from neglected spaces to lively centres of education, nutrition, health and recreation.
