District ranks among top in indicators for women and children
Shillong, Dec 1: Ri-Bhoi, one of the 112 Aspirational Districts in the country and only one in Meghalaya, has drawn the attention of the Central government for its performance in certain aspects of the Central scheme.
“Ri-Bhoi’s Aspirational District indicators are very promising. Today, the district ranks among the top in several indicators for women and children,” said Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, who was on a visit to the district to implementation of various women and child development initiatives in the Aspirational District.
The union minister also assessed the region’s progress under key Centrally-sponsored government schemes.
Expressing her satisfaction with the district’s achievements stating, she also assured her support to address the gaps in some indicators and tackle the challenges addressed a meeting.
The minister visited some of the villages in Ri-Bhoi as she engaged with families at the Transit Home and interacted with pregnant mothers at Primary Health Centre in Byrnihat.
She also visited the Anganwadi centre at Saiden where she interacted with caretakers of the centre and children enrolled in preschool services and Supplemental Nutrition Programme (SNP) activities.
The minister also commended the state government’s efforts, including the Early Childhood Development Mission and the Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme (CM-SMS), ensuring to further take the mission’s conversation forward.
“This initiative of the government is one of the best practises and we will see how this can be replicated in other aspirational districts of the country to further improve the health of the mother and child”
The minister further exhorted the state officials’ efforts and assured the Centre’s support, stating to take forward proposals and to ensure a follow-up.
The minister later in the day reviewed the implementation of the schemes and met the representatives of all the departments and district administration at the DC Conference Hall, Nongpoh to review implementation of Central sector and Centrally-sponsored schemes.
Discussions covered challenges, achievements, and progress on annual performance targets, along with funds allocation and utilisation from NITI Aayog and the North Eastern Council (NEC), among other schemes and initiatives.
Highlighting the Central Government’s focus on the North East under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Minister stated, “Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed a strong focus on the North East region, and a collective effort has been made across all departments including women and child development.”
Hinting on the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), the Minister exclaimed that due to the concerted efforts made under ADP previously neglected districts, including those in remote locations, have shown major successes in propelling development in key indicators.
Senior state government and Central government officials, including principal secretary (Health & Family Welfare) Sampath Kumar, commissioner secretary (Social Welfare) Abhilash Baranwal, Ri-Bhoi deputy commissioner Dr Ankita Chakravarty, PS to the union minister Malika Pandey, APS to minister WCD Ram Puneet, Language PA to minister WCD Kumar Gaurav were among others present on the occasion.
