Friday, 04 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The chief secretary Radha Raturi has instructed the Women Empowerment and Child Development (WECD) department to conduct a 15-day campaign across the state from October 4 to register pregnant women working in the unorganised sector under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). She made this announcement during a meeting with the officials of the WECD on Thursday. Raturi emphasised the need for 100 per cent coverage of PMMVY for all pregnant women in the unorganised sector, particularly those from low-income groups.
Additionally, she directed the Labour Department to review the Employees State Insurance (ESI) and instructed WECD officials to ensure the compulsory conduct of three Antenatal Care check-ups for all pregnant women by Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) and to conduct Maternal death audits. Raturi also highlighted the importance of mapping Anganwadis in urban areas, especially near slums and construction sites, to address the issues of malnutrition and low weight in children under the age of five and to ensure that pregnant women have access to necessary health facilities and various schemes. Further, she instructed the development of an action plan to promote millet under the take-home ration distributed to pregnant women by the WECD Department.
Raturi also called for the rationalisation of schemes related to the WECD Department to improve performance indicators. She emphasised the need for a coordinated strategy among departments to reduce maternal mortality rates, anemia among pregnant women and adolescents and malnutrition among children in the state. Additionally, she directed the secretary of Urban Development to hold a review meeting to ensure ESI coverage for personnel working in urban bodies, especially low-income group employees and sanitation workers and to submit a report on the same.
