Haryana Government will implement “Maternity Benefit Programme” in all districts of the State, with an aim to improve health seeking behavior and nutrition among the pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Chief Minister Manohar lal has accorded approval for the implementation of the programme.
Under the scheme, cash incentive of Rs 5000 would be provided to the pregnant women (PW) and lactating mother (lM) directly to their bank or post office account, said Haryana Women and Child Development Minister, Kavita Jain.
She said the scheme which would be implemented using the platform of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) under the Women and Child Development Department would help in improving health seeking behaviour and nutrition among PW and lM to reduce the effects of under nutrition namely stunting, wasting and other related problems.
The Minister said all eligible pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first live birth were entitled for benefits under the scheme. However, all Government, public sector undertakings (Central, State and Union Territory) employees or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being are excluded from the scheme.
The eligible beneficiaries would be paid Rs 5000 in three installments on fulfilling specific conditions related to maternal and child health to partly compensate for wage loss to mothers or women during pregnancy and period of lactation. While the first installment of Rs 1000 would be transferred at early registration of pregnancy, second installment of Rs 2000 would be transferred on receiving at least one antenatal check-up after six months of pregnancy.
The third installment of Rs 2000 would be provided at childbirth registration, child received first cycle of BCG, OPV, DPT and Hepatitis-B or its equivalent or substitute. The amount of the maternity benefit would be transferred to the beneficiary’s bank or post office account linked to her aadhar number in direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode, said the Minister.
She said that Maternity Benefit Programme was a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under which grant–in-aid would be released to state in cost sharing ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and the State Government.
A budget provision of Rs 2450 lakh including Rs 1470 lakh as Centre’s share has been made under the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY)”- scheme for the year 2017-18, she added.