Sunday, 04 April 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat has directed officials of Women Empowerment and Child Development department to ensure that the beneficiaries of various central and state government schemes receive the intended benefit on time. Chairing a review meeting of the department via video conferencing on Saturday, the CM directed the officials to speed up construction of buildings for Anganwadi centres still without a building. The proper supply of drinking water and electricity should also be ensured in Anganwadi centres. Centres facing drinking water problem should be provided the same under the Jal Jeevan Mission, he said.
The CM further directed the officials to ensure that women and children are receiving the additional nutritional food items on time. The attendance of Anganwadi workers should also be monitored regularly to ensure that the public receives the benefit of government schemes on time. Rawat stressed that the budget received from government of India under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is fully utilised. The timely distribution of take home ration should also be ensured. He also directed the departmental officials to prepare a plan of actions that can be taken to control the problem of anaemia among women and children. It should be ensured that the benefit of the state government schemes related to the department is received by the beneficiaries soon after their application. Budget for various schemes will be allocated soon, he added.
Officials informed in the meeting that presently 20,033 Anganwadi centres are operating in the state. Due to Covid-19, take home ration is being distributed instead of hot cooked meals under the scheme for nutritious food for children. Take home ration is distributed on the fifth day of every month for children aged between six months and three years, pregnant women and mothers. Further, under the chief minister child nutrition campaign, banana and egg is provided two days a week to children aged from three to six years. Supplementary nutrition is provided to pregnant women and mothers every month under ICDS. Apart from this, under the Nanda-Gaura scheme, each family with annual income of less than Rs 72,000 is provided Rs 11,000 on the birth of a girl child and Rs 51,000 on the girl passing class XII exam. This benefit is being provided to the first two girls of the family, informed officials.
State minister of Women Empowerment and Child Development, Rekha Arya, departmental secretary/director HC Semwal and other officials concerned were also present in the meeting.
