By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 3 Oct: Chief Secretary Radha Raturi has directed the Women and Child Development Department to run a campaign across the state from 4 October for the next 15 days to register pregnant women working in the unorganised sector, or as labourers at construction sites, and domestic servants and those living in urban slums under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
CS Raturi has asked officials to ensure 100 percent coverage of PMMVY for all pregnant women working in the unorganised sector, especially those from the low income group, within the stipulated time frame. Along with this, the Chief Secretary has asked the Labour Department to review the Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme. She has also asked the Secretary, Urban Development, to hold an immediate review meeting to ensure ESI coverage for the personnel working in urban bodies, especially the low income group employees and sanitation workers, and submit a report in this regard.
The Chief Secretary instructed the Women and Child Development Department to compulsorily conduct three ANCs of all pregnant women by ANMs and to conduct a maternal death audit. She has sought mapping of Anganwadis in urban areas, especially near slums and construction sites, so that the problem of malnutrition and low weight in children below the age of five can be resolved and pregnant women can get the benefits of necessary health facilities and various schemes. The Chief Secretary has sought an action plan to promote millets under the take home ration distributed to pregnant women by the Department.
Raturi has issued instructions to rationalise the schemes related to the Women and Child Development and Labour Departments to improve the said indicators during a review meeting of relatively low performance indicators under SDG Index 2023-24 held at the Secretariat.
She has instructed all the departments to work with a coordinated strategy to reduce the problem of maternal mortality rate, anemia among pregnant women and adolescents and malnutrition among children in the state.
Additional Secretary Prashant Arya and other officers of the Women and Child Development and Labour Department were present at today’s meeting.