Chandigarh, August 24, 2026:The Governor of Punjab and Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria today inaugurated the Lok Bhawan Crèche at Sector 7 under the PALNA Scheme of Mission Shakti, marking another step towards providing safe, quality childcare facilities for children and greater support to working parents.

A key feature of the new crèche is secure CCTV viewing access for parents/guardians, with prior consent, enabling them to view their children during operational hours. The facility is being introduced for the first time in U.T. Chandigarh and will subsequently be extended to other crèche centres.

During the inauguration, Shri Kataria visited the newly developed POSHAN Vatika (Nutrition Garden), participated in a tree plantation drive and inspected the crèche facilities. He also interacted with children and their parents. Parents welcomed the initiative and expressed their appreciation for the safe and nurturing environment provided for their children, particularly in helping working parents and women balance their professional responsibilities.

Shri Kataria was accompanied by Shri Harpreet Singh Sudan, Secretary, and Shri Naveen, DANICS, Director, Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, along with senior officers, staff, children and their parents.

Under the PALNA Scheme, Chandigarh has 210 Anganwadi-cum-Crèches (AWCCs) operational across the U.T., including 18 Model AWCCs developed as benchmark centres for safety, hygiene, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and nutrition.