There are six (6) Balashrams managed and supervised by the State Council with the support from the State Government in W&CD Department. During the financial year 2014-15 the grants of Rs.73,96,200.00 have been released by W&CD Department for six (6) Balashrams. During the year, the Member Secretary, OSCCW visited the Utkal Balashram Sakhas, Cuttack, Jajpur, Puri, Berhampur and Balasore. He also attended the Managing Committee meeting of Utkal Balashram, Berhampur on 12-12-2014 held in the chamber of Collector, Ganjam. All the six Balashrams have been declared as Children’s Home under Juvenile Justice Act-2000 by the Department of Women and Child Development. Solar power plants have been installed at Utkal Balashram, Puri and Nabarangpur by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA). It will reduce the energy bills of these two institutions.
Government of Odisha in W&CD Department vide its notification No. 11-CW-22/2005/16577/WCD/dt. 04.08.2005 has declared Odisha State Council for Child welfare as the “Nodal Agency” of the scheme for maintenance of the children (0 to 6 years) termed as Deemed Orphans who are staying with their mothers in Swadhar Homes, Short Stay Homes, Central Homes for women. The scheme provides a sum of Rs.250/- per child per month towards maintenance of the child. For the year 2014-15 maintenance grant for Rs.3,36,412/- was sanctioned by the Government in favour of 7 NGOs for maintenance of 139 number of children.
Management of eight (8) AWTCs has been entrusted to the Odisha Council for Child Welfare by the State Government in which nearly 5000 Anganwadi Workers were trained during the year 2014-15. During the year 2014-15, grant to the tune of Rs. 1,04,15,214/- has been sanctioned and released by the Government in W&CD Dept. to meet the staff salary and course grant up to September, 2014.
Besides the above, grant to the tune of Rs.22,59,840/- has been sanctioned by the State Government during this year for development of infrastructure of AWTCs being managed by Odisha State Council for Child Welfare.
Grant to the tune of Rs.16,59,05400/- crores has been sanctioned for the purpose of new construction and renovation of buildings of 7 Anganwadi Workers’ Training Centres. Construction work for AWTC, Dhenkanal has already started and progress is up to lintel level. The land for AWTC, Berhampur and Koraput has been identified. Tender document is in process. Collector, Koraput has already constructed a building for use of AWTC Ambaguda. Renovation work of the building at AWTC Unit-I, Unit-II and Unit-III, Baripada has not yet started.
Periodical meeting of all Principals were held on 23.04.2014, 01.08.2014, 05.09.2014 and 16.1.2015 during the year to discuss various issues relating to AWTC.
Indian Council for Child Welfare, New Delhi has sanctioned 74 Creche centres to State Council. During the year 44 centres were functioning through its DCCE in 7 districts of the state with the grant-in-aid from DCCW, New Delhi under Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for the children.
Every year, the National Bravery Award is awarded by the Indian Council for Child Welfare, New Delhi to brave children between the ages of 6 to 18 years for their outstanding courage. The State Council also felicitates the children under State Bravery Award Scheme. For wide publicity of the scheme the copy of the scheme along with application form were circulated to all the District Collectors, Superintendents of Police, Director, Secondary Education, Odisha, Director of Sports, Indian Red Cross Society-Odisha State Branch, Door Darshan, Bhubaneswar, All India Radio, Cuttack, all DSWOs and DCPOs to get recommendation for more cases of bravery. This year the advertisement was published in the local newspaper for all Odisha circulation and it was also uploaded in the website of W. & C.D. Dept., Govt. of Odisha but no nomination were received during the year.
The Executive Council meeting of the Odisha State Council for Child Welfare was held on 07.03.2015 under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister, Women & Child Development at NSAP conference hall of W. & C. D. Dept. Commissioner-cum-Secretary, W.&C.D., Director, Social Welfare, three Revenue Divisional Commissioners, Secretary General, ICCW, and three social workers nominated from three revenue divisions attended the meeting. Various issues related to State Council were discussed at length and it was decided not to construct the “Bal Bhavan”.
With the support of Indian Council for Child Welfare, meritorious students whose family’s monthly income is Rs.5000/- or less are getting sponsorship assistance. Presently 19 students are getting sponsorship assistance from ICCW. Out of the 19 students 02 students (National Painting Competition Awardee) have received assistance for the F.Y. 2012-13 and other 17 students have received assistance for the F.Y. 2013-14.
One day state consultation on “Child Protection” was organized by Odisha State Council for Child Welfare in collaboration with Coalition on Children’s Right to Protection (CCRP) and allied partner “Basundhara” on 04.07.2014 at Red Cross Bhavan, Bhubaneswar. Different child care institutions, representatives of six Utkal Balshrams, RIPA and SAA attended the programme. Around 130 representative of the aforesaid institutions participated in the programme. Member Secretary, OSCCW presided over the meeting. The main focus of the programme was to identify various issues related to :-
State Level Painting Competition-2014 was organized by Odisha State Council for Child Welfare on 28.09.2014 among the school children at Bhubaneswar and different district headquarters viz. Cuttack, Puri, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Koraput, Nawarangpur, Berhampur and Baripada as per guideline of ICCW, New Delhi. The main aim of organizing this Competition was to give opportunity to the children to show their talent at the National Level and derive further inspiration. This year 647 children participated in the competition with lots of interest. The State Council had sent 38 numbers of paintings from selected five groups including disabled and special category of children for selection at national level.
State Council awarded trophies and certificates to all selected participants in each group who excelled in the Painting Competition- 2014 during adoption awareness week celebration on 16.11.2014 at Hotel Kalinga Ashok. 38 award winning children received prizes and certificates.
The donations to the State Council are exempted from Income Tax under IT act 80G. Like previous year this year Shree Gopal Memorial Trust, Cuttack donated Rs. 1 lakh to Utkal Balashram, Cuttack.
The one and only dedicated donor Sri Rankabandhu Behera, a retired government employee has donated Rs.48,000/- @ Rs.4000/- per month for the children of Balashrams during the year. The donation amount has been exclusively utilized for the children of different Balashrams by purchasing required items for them.
Till date total number of life members of the Odisha State Council for Child Welfare is 184.