Ahmedabad, Dec 4 Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday said that nurturing a healthy generation for Viksit Bharat 2047 rests on Anganwadi workers as they play a crucial role in shaping young minds and instilling early values.
Chief Minister Patel said this after presenting appointment letters to more than 9,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers at a state-level ceremony in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, in the presence of Minister of Women and Child Development Manisha Vakil.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that Anganwadis serve as the first foundation in a child's development, adding that the responsibility of nurturing a healthy generation for Viksit Bharat @2047 rests significantly on Anganwadi workers.
He emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of nation-building through Nari Shakti guides the state government's commitment to maternal nutrition, child health, and early education.
CM Patel highlighted that Gujarat now has over 53,000 functional Anganwadi–Nandghar centres, a transformation initiated under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
During the ceremony, the Chief Minister also performed the e-inauguration and ground-breaking of over 170 new Anganwadi centres and shared plans to construct more than 10,000 new Nandghars in the coming years.
He noted that Anganwadi workers, much like Mother Yashoda, play a crucial role in shaping young minds and instilling early values.
He also underlined the state's welfare schemes like fortified flavoured milk for tribal children under the Dudh Sanjivani Yojana, protein-rich diets for pregnant women, Poshan Sudha, Take-Home Ration, Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana, and the Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana, benefitting over 41 lakh children from Anganwadis to primary schools.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Manisha Vakil congratulated the newly inducted workers, stating that they are not merely joining government service but becoming part of a mission to strengthen the future of Gujarat's children.
She said the values, nutrition, and early education imparted by Anganwadi workers will shape the state's future.
Calling it a historic and proud day for Gujarat, she noted that the new appointments have empowered women with employment opportunities at their doorstep, marking a new chapter in women's empowerment.
The appointment letters, she said, symbolise not just jobs but a commitment to building a healthier and more educated generation.
Dr Vakil added that Anganwadi centres have become "energy hubs" for children and serve as the most fundamental unit of social development, ensuring that government schemes and benefits reach grassroots beneficiaries effectively. District-level appointment ceremonies were also held for recruits from Rajkot, Surat, and Vadodara zones.
Dr Vakil visited stalls showcasing nutrition services, pre-primary education initiatives (Pa Pa Pagli), digital innovations, and Poshan Sangam.
Women and Child Development Department Secretary Rakesh Shankar provided an overview of government initiatives aimed at improving the health, nutrition, and education of pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children in Gujarat.
ICDS Commissioner Ranjitkumar Singh delivered the vote of thanks.
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