Bhubaneswar, February 16: Following the hue and cry, the Anganwadi Centre in Nuagaon, Rajnagar, located in Odisha's Kendrapara district, has resumed operations following a nearly three-month hiatus, after intervention from local authorities.

The shutdown occurred after villagers allegedly boycotted the centre due to the appointment of a Dalit woman as the cook and helper. This action led to upper-caste families refusing to send their children to the centre or accept the government-provided food for pregnant women and lactating mothers.

The centre had been closed since November 21 of the previous year, but on Monday, 16 out of 20 children enrolled at the facility returned, partaking in meals prepared by the Dalit cook, Four children were absent, citing illness.

Anganwadi Cook shared her joy in witnessing the children return. “I served ragi ladoos, followed by rice and ‘dalma’ (vegetable curry), and seeing the children eat was an immense source of joy for me. They also played with toys, which brought life back to the centre that had been deserted for almost three months,” she said. She expressed hope that caste-based discrimination would no longer rear its ugly head in the village.

Kendrapara Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), who was present at the centre to welcome the children, said, “The centre had been without children for nearly three months due to some villagers' objection to the appointment of a Dalit woman. Today, the vibrancy is back.”