Special focus on achieving SDGs in women, child welfare, says CM Jagan

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said the government is spending Rs 1,900 crore per month to provide healthy food to children against the earlier allocations of Rs 500 crore. “AP should be number-one in the country in terms of sustainable development goals,” he stressed.

The CM launched the distribution of cellphones to Anganwadis and supervisors,  total of 57,000, for comprehensive monitoring of nutrition and other services being provided to pregnant women, infants and children under age 6.

During a review meeting on women and child welfare development on Wednesday, the chief minister asked officials to focus on achieving UN’s SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in the field of women and child welfare by providing nutritious food to lactating mothers and children and ensuring basic infrastructure at all Anganwadis. 

He said MARKFED will take up distribution of nutritious food to Anganwadis from December.

The CM said it must be ensured that the eggs and milk supplied to Anganwadis are of high quality while maintaining quantity. Steps should be taken to run the curriculum in English medium to children from the very beginning through Foundation Schools and Satellite Foundation Schools established under the Nadu-Nedu programme. 

He said the government has been paying as much importance to women and child welfare as it pays to the education, health and agricultural sectors. Regular supervision and monitoring of Anganwadis would ensure their efficient running. Officials must make efforts to have government’s own buildings while providing the best infrastructure to them by coordinating with the education department.

He said the government is expecting excellent results in this area in two months’ time and called for arrangements in all Anganwadis to safely store food and maintain its quality. Welfare assistants in village secretariats, ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers and village clinics should take the initiative to ensure proper Medicare and nutritious food are provided to the children in Anganwadis at the right time. 

Referring to the legal obstacles being faced by the government in the recruitment of supervisors for monitoring Anganwadis, the CM asked the department to complete the recruitments by December by overcoming the present problems. The monitoring should be done efficiently by supervisors by geo tagging and creating necessary Apps.

The government would distribute nearly 57,000 mobile phones to the Anganwadis and supervisors, he said while launching the distribution programme. Women and child welfare Minister KV Ushasri Charan and higher officials were present.