Patna: In a bid to empower women and improve early childhood education support, the Bihar government has rolled out a massive plan to stitch and distribute uniforms to 95 lakh children aged three to six years enrolled in 1,15,000 Anganwadi centres across the state.
To implement this, the government has estimated the requirement of one crore metres of cloth. Tenders have already been floated to source the material, and once delivered, the production work will begin at local sewing centres operated by Jeevika Didis—women associated with Bihar’s rural livelihood programme. These centres operate under the Janaki Stitching Producer Company in various districts and are primarily involved in sewing and embroidery.
Currently, around 15,000 Jeevika Didis are affiliated with the Janaki Stitching Producer Company. The new plan aims to expand the workforce, engaging an additional 15,000 to 20,000 women, bringing the total to over 30,000. All workers will undergo formal training to ensure the quality and uniformity of the garments.
The uniforms will be made in three sizes—22, 24 and 28—to cater to children aged between three and six years. Each Anganwadi centre will be linked with the scheme at the block level to ensure timely delivery. The goal is to distribute the stitched uniforms across the state beginning in November, with a production window of six months.
To ensure transparency and accountability, a dedicated software is being developed by Jeevika to monitor every stage of production. The software will track cloth utilisation, daily production numbers, uniform storage, and delivery timelines. The state hopes this digital oversight will prevent delays, inefficiencies, or misuse of resources.
