After 15 years of endeavours to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) laid down by United Nations Organisations culminated on December 31, 2015, functionaries came together to review the hits and misses in context of Jharkhand.
Back in 2000, UNO had set eight goals for its member countries eradicate extreme hunger and poverty, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, ensure environment sustainability and develop global partnership.
MDG-Programme Monitoring and Planning Support Unit under Department of Planning-cum-Finance, in collaboration with UNICEF, started a three-day workshop on status of MDGs at Divisional level on Thursday for those with the responsibility to realise these goals to understand the avenues achieved in this regard and the associated bottlenecks and recommendations.
Districts under Santhal Pargana Division – Godda, Dumka, Deoghar, Sahebganj, Pakur and Jamtara – took part in the inaugural session of the workshop. District Planning Officers, District Statistics Officers, District Programme Officers (Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan), District Programme Manager (National Rural Health Mission) and District Coordinator (Swachchh Bharat Abhiyaan) gave their inputs in the deliberations.
The deliberations started with difficulties in ascertaining the status MDGs originating from faults in gathered information. Experts pointed out that data gaps, incomplete data coverage and incomplete data hinder precise monitoring of MDGs at the level of Districts.
District officials pointed out that regular interaction should have been conducted in the past so that they could have been prepared with the data required of them. We have the numbers, continuous probing would have directed us into providing the correct data, said one of the officials from Pakur.
In the presentation showing the performance in the direction of targets and indicators based on reports submitted by districts, a steady growth was observed in the State’s status regarding MDGs. Areas where the state is still lagging behind will be worked upon this year.
Discussing recommendations, officials suggested that MDGs should be assessed as per financial year instead of assuming calendar years as the time frame. The changes in indicators pertaining to MDGs, especially in health (immunisation and contraceptives), should be considered while assessing the status of the goals for better understanding the picture.
The officials were also informed about Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), efforts to achieve which are to be kicked off in April this year. Against eight goals, 12 targets and 35 indicators for MDGs, SDG will cover a much larger picture with 17 goals, 140 targets and more than 300 indicators.