Health and Social Justice Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil today participated in a virtual review meeting chaired by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi. The meeting included ministers from various states to assess the progress of different schemes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Dr. Shandil emphasized the importance of proper nutrition during childhood and highlighted the proactive efforts of the State Government to meet the nutritional needs of children. He urged the Union Minister to increase the rates of supplementary nutrition provided by the Central Government to better fulfill the dietary requirements of children.
The Minister informed that under the Anganwadi Seva Yojana, the state has recently received Rs. 66 crore from the Centre, while the state government has already spent Rs. 113 crore from its own treasury as the Central share. He called for the timely release of the second installment of funds. He also mentioned that under the special nutrition program, the Central Government has provided Rs. 40.13 crore this year, out of which Rs. 15.16 crore has been spent so far.
Dr. Shandil suggested including pre-fabricated structures for the construction of anganwadi buildings in hilly states like Himachal Pradesh, as these models would be more effective in such regions. He requested the Central Government to provide funds for constructing these buildings under the scheme.
The Health Minister further shared that all anganwadi centres in the state have been declared as anganwadi Seh-school centres to ensure children receive not only nutritious food but also proper care and early learning. A State-level Joint Committee, headed by the Secretary (Education), has been formed to implement guidelines from the Ministries of Women & Child Development and Education for co-locating anganwadi centres with schools.
He also apprised that under the ‘Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi’ programme, all District Program Officers (DPOs), Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), and supervisors have been trained as state-level master trainers, who will in turn train all anganwadi workers. Dr. Shandil reaffirmed the state government’s full commitment to ensuring every child and mother receives adequate nutrition.
The Union Minister assured full support to the state and promised to sympathetically consider all genuine demands raised during the meeting.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
