Seethakka opens first Palan Center in Hyderabad city

Hyderabad: Telangana Women and Child Welfare Minister Seethakka on Friday, June 19, inaugurated an Anganwadi-cum-Palan (day care) Centre at Arundhati Nagar in the Chandrayangutta constituency, marking the first such Palan Centre to come up in Hyderabad city.

During the event, the minister distributed uniforms to children, watched their study demonstrations and interacted with them. Later, on the occasion of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s birthday, Corporation Vice Chairman Nagesh cut a cake along with the children present.

Speaking on the occasion, Seethakka said the new centre would provide care, nutrition and learning through play for children aged six months to three years, adding that the government has brought quality childcare services to people’s doorsteps, eliminating the need for parents to spend thousands of rupees on private nurseries.

She said housing the Anganwadi and Palan Centre on the same premises would help extend comprehensive services to all children in a family, and that such day care centres would benefit working mothers, several of whom are forced to give up jobs due to childcare responsibilities.

Following Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s vision, Palan Centres are being set up across the state, the minister said, adding that the government would take responsibility for children aged six months to three years through these centres, which are equipped with toys, learning materials and nutrition support.

Seethakka noted that the first thousand days of a child’s life are critical for brain and physical development, and that the government is running special programs to provide nutrition, health services, and care to mothers and children from pregnancy through the child’s first two years.

She said Anganwadi centres are being strengthened with education, nutrition and snacks, and are being upgraded on par with private nurseries, with 57 types of toys, uniforms and quality pre-school education now being offered. She appealed to parents to enrol all children below six years in Anganwadi centres.

The minister also spoke about the state government’s women’s empowerment initiatives, stating that interest-free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh are being extended to self-help group members, with over Rs 61,000 crore disbursed so far against a target of Rs 1 lakh crore in interest-free loans to women.

She said efforts are on to strengthen women’s groups in urban areas on the lines of those in rural areas, with special groups being formed for elderly women, persons with disabilities and adolescent girls. Through the “Amma Ku Aksharamala” program, six lakh women have been made literate so far, she added.

Seethakka said child care, nutrition and early learning at Palan Centres are the government’s responsibility. “If you entrust your children to us, you can confidently go about your work and return. Ensuring a safe childhood for every child and providing assurance to every mother is our government’s goal,” she said.