Chief Minister Raman Singh has said that the foundation of educated and healthy society should be laid in childhood.

Every child has a right to be educated, healthy and be treated equally in the society, he said while speaking after the release of the UNICEF Report-2016 on the ‘Status of Children in the globe’’ on Tuesday night.

Singh added that the views of the UN report and those of India are identical over the welfare of children.

It may be mentioned here that on June 28, a Status Report on Children was released by all the nations and States, he said.

The Chief Minister urged the UNICEF officials to submit the status of children in Chhattisgarh report to the State Government as early as possible. The UNICEF report will help in formulating the policies and programmes for children in future. The children are healthy only when the mother is hale and hearty.

Chhattisgarh is the first State in the country to provide Food Security Act and rice, grams and Iodised salt (free of cost) at reasonable rates to the below poverty line (BPl) families. There is a significant reduction in malnourishment levels among women and children after the implementation of various social welfare schemes, Singh said.

There is a need for much to be done in this sector. It is a challenge to curb Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and malnourishment in the State but the State had achieved sound results in this fields, he said.

The Chief Minister added that several welfare schemes are implemented at the Anganwadi centers and Phoolwari Centres. This is the Flagship scheme and officials monitor it at regular intervals.

State School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap said that the drop-out rates of children in the schools had fallen significantly in recent times. The goal is to attain zero drop-out soon.

Speaker of Chhattisgarh legislative Assembly Gaurishankar Agrawal said that UNICEF is an international organisation dedicated for the welfare of children all over the globe.

He said that Mahatari Jatan Yojana and Nutritious Meal Scheme at the Anganwadis had helped in controlling malnourishment among women and children. Efforts are being made to secure health for all individuals and education of all children.