Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday termed it a “21st century shame” after an Anganwadi centre in Odisha remained shut for nearly three months, allegedly because villagers objected to a Dalit woman being appointed as helper-cum-cook.
The centre, located in Nuagaon village under Ghadiamal gram panchayat in Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district, became non-functional soon after 20-year-old Sharmistha Sethy was appointed on Nov. 20, 2025, officials said.
Sethy said families withdrew their children from the centre and refused to collect free food items, including sattu (roasted gram flour) and eggs distributed under the government childcare programme. She alleged the boycott was driven by caste prejudice.
“My family is very poor and I secured this job after great hardship,” Sethy said, adding that repeated appeals to villagers to send their children back had gone unanswered.
An Anganwadi worker confirmed that although 20 children are enrolled, none are currently attending. Staff had gone door to door urging families to resume sending their children, but without success.
A district-level team led by the Kendrapara Sub-Collector visited the village this week to resolve the issue. However, only the local sarpanch, a ward member and two villagers attended a meeting convened by the administration, officials said.
“We want villagers to send their children to the Anganwadi centre as their absence is affecting pre-school education and nutrition, which the government provides free of cost,” said Deepali Mishra, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO). She added that Sethy was the sole applicant when the post was advertised in 2024 and again in 2025.
Authorities said efforts were under way to ensure children return to the centre and that a final decision would be taken by higher officials.
Raising the issue in Parliament, Kharge said caste-based discrimination at such centres undermines children’s right to education and nutrition. “In the 21st century, when we speak of social development, people are refusing to let their children eat food prepared by a Dalit woman,” he said.
India’s Constitution guarantees the right to education under Article 21A and directs the state to improve nutrition and public health under Article 47.