Shillong, Oct 13: The Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme of Meghalaya government was showcased as a replicable model at the National Women and Child Development Conference and the Prime Minister’s Office specifically asked the state to present the ECD model before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister said he attended the two-day national conference that brought together WCD ministers from across the country.
“The Prime Minister was there in the valedictory session. It was a two-day program where different social welfare ministers discussed best practices to improve implementation of schemes being implemented by the Centre as well as the states. It was a great way of learning from each other,” he said.
“We were very happy and honoured because the Prime Minister’s Office had asked Meghalaya to present its model of Early Childhood Development which I presented to the Prime Minister before 35-40 people, all ministers were there,” he said.
Terming Meghalaya as one of the first states to roll out ECD, Sangma said the state pitched it as a national model.
“We presented the scientific fact that 85% of a child’s brain grows before the age of 6 and hence investing before that age is absolutely necessary, especially keeping in mind the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat,” he said.
He said the conference also deliberated on reimagining anganwadis.
“We discussed how anganwadis can become centres from just simple nutritional centres to centres where children can actually learn, and how parents, officers and anganwadi workers can together make a nutritional centre into a centre of learning, into a centre of happiness and a centre where society and community come together,” he said.
Sangma said the Prime Minister in his valedictory address guided states to work more effectively at the grassroots and keep child and mother health as priority.
Meanwhile, on his meeting with the Ambassador of Panama, Sangma said, “I had a short meeting with the Ambassador of Panama. They shared their idea of trying to find out ways in which Meghalaya and Panama can coordinate and cooperate, whether cultural exchange or small trade in areas where they have expertise and where we have expertise.”
He informed that he has been invited as chief guest for Panama’s Independence Day celebration in Delhi on November 28.
“I am very thankful to the Ambassador of Panama for that and I look forward to a very positive relationship going forward for the betterment of both Meghalaya-India and Panama,” he added.
