‘One-stop centres in NE to receive active support from Centre’
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 10: Union minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani chaired the Zonal Conference of state governments and stakeholders of North-East region at Guwahati on Sunday.
Participants from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Nagaland attended the conference.
The minister in her address highlighted the details of Poshan Abhiyan and other initiatives of the ministry. She said that all the Anganwadis and one stop centres across the North East region will receive active support to ensure that geographical and logistical challenges are met expeditiously by Government of India interventions.
She said that improving nutrition value among women and children has transformed into a Jan Andolan today. Praising the efforts of the stakeholders for their contribution, the minister said that addressing the issues of female health and nutrition of children has been possible because of their cooperation and support.
Talking about one-stop centres she said that the one stop crisis centre saw a collaborative effort where various branches of government came together to ensure that police, psycho-social counsellor, legal counsellor and all get together under one roof. In collaboration with women helplines across the country in the past 3 years, 70 lakh women have received support from government in the state and the Centre, she informed.
The minister also informed that 300 more such centres will be opened.
Talking about other initiatives by government Irani said that there are around 25 crore women benefiting from Jan-Dhan Yojana who have a bank account for the first time in their life. 68 per cent of beneficiaries of Mudra Yojana are women and 80 per cent of the beneficiaries of Stand-Up India are women, Irani said.
Minister of state for Women and Child Development Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai in his address highlighted the three major umbrella schemes by the Ministry of Women and Child Development Mission POSHAN, Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalya.
Talking about the Zonal conferences held in different states of the country he said that this government is focusing on empowerment of women through various schemes and the objective of these zonal conferences is to sensitise state governments/UT administrations on the 3 Umbrella Missions of the Ministry to facilitate proper implementation of the schemes over the next 5 years.
Finance and Social Welfare minister, Government of Assam Ajanta Neog was also present on Sunday’s event.
Neog in her speech highlighted the initiatives taken by the state government for the welfare of children and women. The Government of Assam is committed to all-round development of women and children in the state, she said.