Persistent decline in the malnutrition rate among children along with socio-economic empowerment of women are now a clear indication of Chhattisgarh heading towards a brighter future.
According to the available figures of ‘Weighing Festival’ held this year, now malnutrition in Chhattisgarh is only 33 per cent, whereas, as per the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005-06, malnutrition rate in the State was 52 per cent. As such, malnutrition rate in the State has decreased by 19 per cent in seven and half years.
Days are not far away when Chhattisgarh will be known as a healthy, well-organised and developed State, officials stated.Under the leadership of Chief Minister Raman Singh, many schemes and programmes have been launched in the State for betterment of women and bringing improvement in the health and nutrition of children along with development of their body, mind and skill.
The State Government has taken several steps in the direction of making women eligible and aware of protection of their constitutional rights, rules regarding their protection and for taking benefits of various schemes.Recently, to promote re-marriage of widows, the Chief Minister took a decision for marriage of widows under the ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana.’ In this scheme, provision has been made to spend Rs30,000 in widows’ re-marriage.
Health of a society is decided on the health conditions of women and children. This was the reason behind Woman and Child Development department running anganwadi centres in the remote regions to provide better health and nutrition facilities to women and children.
The State Government, through 285 phulwari centres, has been providing services equal to anganwadi centres to the children in 14 IAP districts of tribal dominated hilly and forest surrounded areas of the State, where, as per the population criteria of the Government of India, opening of anganwadi centres was not possible.
At present, 49,830 anganwadi centres are functional in the State from which 25.49 per cent beneficiaries are benefited. By strengthening and re-organising ‘Integrated Child Development Services,’ an increase has been achieved in the prescribed amount for the per day supply of supplementary nutritious food to beneficiaries in anganwadi centres.
Amount for seriously malnourished children has been hiked from Rs6 to Rs9 per day, whereas, the amount for pregnant and child-bearing women has been increased from Rs5 to Rs7 and for ordinary children from Rs4 to Rs6.Besides, commendable step has been taken to develop anganwadi centre as effective ‘Centre of Village’ for health and nutrition, under which, increase in working time of the centre from 4 to 6 hours, quality improvement in pre-school education, organisation of early childhood care and education day (ECCE) and providing quality services through anganwadis are included.
The State Government has launched various schemes including malnutrition eradication campaign, integrated child protection scheme, ‘Mukhyamantri Baal Sandarf Yojana’ and ‘Nava Jatan Yojana’ to make children of the State healthy and well-nourished and for strengthening the present child protection system.Trusting on the women of the State, all works of ready-to-eat food, fresh food and breakfast preparation and supply have been given to women groups.
A total of 1,568 women self help groups (SHGs) are preparing and supplying ready-to-eat food and 22,226 women SHGs are preparing and supplying fresh food and breakfast in the State. The amount of medicine kit supplied by the anganwadi centres has been hiked from Rs600 to Rs1,000.
For the all round development of adolescent girls of the State, ‘Sabal Yojana’ has been launched in 10 districts and ‘Kishori Shakti Yojana’ in the remaining districts.In order to provide financial help to women for setting up self employment, loan scheme through ‘Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh’ has been launched in the State. So far, Rs41.61 crore loans have been sanctioned from this fund to over 25,000 women groups for running their business.
Besides, to provide economic assistance to women and for their skill development, Swavalamban Yojana, skill development training scheme and entrepreneurship awareness programmes are being organised. Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana,’ marriage of 54,000 girls have been solemnised in the State so far.
To make women aware and active towards their legal rights and provisions and for prevention of social evils, ‘Mahila Jagriti Shivirs’ have been organised at village panchayat, Janpad and district level. Integrated help programme ‘Parijat’ has been launched in the State for mentally sick women.