Nutrition campaign strengthened as Yogi praises AWWs’ contribution, flags off drive in Varanasi
Varanasi, September 9: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched the ninth National Nutrition Month 2026 in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency. During the event held at the Rudraksh Convention Center in Sigra, the Chief Minister directly interacted with Anganwadi workers (AWWs) from across the state and the country and praised their contribution to the nutrition campaign.
During the event, the Chief Minister recognized Sandhya, an Anganwadi worker from Gorakhpur. Sandhya told him that the Chief Minister had visited her village, Basiyapur, in Gorakhpur. The Chief Minister smiled and agreed. This cordial interaction brought smiles to the faces of those present.
At the ceremony, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “You must have seen Anganwadi centers before 2017; most were filthy. Anganwadi centers in Uttar Pradesh lacked proper management. Recipes weren’t available on time. When we visited in 2017, we discovered that a liquor mafia in Uttar Pradesh was supplying these recipes. We ordered an investigation into their quality. Children brought their own mats to Anganwadi centers. There was no drinking water, no toilets, and no hot cooked food in the centers. Someone made a mistake, and the Anganwadi workers were abused. They made the mistakes while sitting in Lucknow. You faced the abuse. You didn’t even receive your honorarium.”
Chief Minister Yogi said, “Speaking of Uttar Pradesh today, when I visit districts, I often visit Anganwadis and Bal Vatikas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took steps in 2014 to strengthen the foundation of the country’s future. He had adopted this model since 2001 when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.” We have given a new look to more than 70 thousand Anganwadi centers in the last nine and a half years.
He said that this is the first time in the state that Anganwadi centers have been made model by spending Rs. 30 lakhs on their construction. The nutrition being distributed today is being supplied from the THR plant along with hot meals. Toilets, drinking water and Bal Vatika are operated for the children.
He told that this year five topics have been included in this campaign, in which dietary diversity and protein rich food, fresh hot cooked food at the centers, community ownership and participation, nutrition and early development and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Abhiyan are the main ones.
He stated that more than ₹2,100 crore has been provided to five crore mothers through these centers. One lakh ninety thousand centers have been approved in the state. Funding has been provided for the buildings of 2,100 40-year-old schools.
He expressed confidence that Anganwadi sisters will carry forward the Nutrition Month program in a healthy competition. He stated that the monthly allowance of ₹3,000 in 2017 has been quadrupled to ₹12,000 today, and they have also been provided with health insurance of ₹5 lakh.
Chief Minister Yogi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given Kashi a new identity through his vision. Today, Kashi, with its new aura and new form, is attracting the world. What kind of India do we want after the completion of 100 years of independence? A self-reliant and developed India, but this self-reliant and developed India will not be achieved by building it in Delhi. This self-reliant and developed India will emerge from the villages and streets. It will start from here.
Chief Minister stated that Anganwadi centers and Basic Education Council schools will be the primary centers for this.
Linking this year’s theme, “My Anganwadi, My Responsibility,” to public participation, the Chief Minister said that Anganwadis are not just the government’s responsibility. Only when Anganwadi workers and assistants, along with the Gram Panchayat, families, and the entire community understand their responsibilities will its true impact be visible. He stated that the Prime Minister’s dream of a developed India will be realized only when the nation’s children are healthy, capable, and educated.
During the program, the Chief Minister also inquired about the benefits children receive from Take Home Ration (THR). Yogi Adityanath also interacted with Anganwadi workers from Gujarat and Odisha.
He learned about the efforts being made to develop model Anganwadi centers and the changes seen in the lives of malnourished children.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur, and State Women and Child Development Welfare Minister Baby Rani Maurya also addressed the program.
