Chandigarh, May 15 – Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that women and children form the foundation of any society and nation, and no country can become strong without empowering them. He said that empowering women and children is among the top priorities of the Haryana Government and the Women and Child Development Department should prepare its next five-year action plan keeping this objective in mind.
The Chief Minister gave these directions while reviewing the upcoming five-year action plan of the Women and Child Development Department under Haryana Vision-2047.
He said that the Haryana Government aims to build an inclusive and equitable society where women have the right to live with dignity, remain free from violence, and where every child is nurtured in a safe, healthy and supportive environment with full opportunities for growth and development.
The Chief Minister directed the department to introduce various activities for children to assess whether they are achieving age-appropriate physical and mental milestones. He said that baby shows and health competitions should be organised for children of every age group and winning children should also be rewarded. Representatives from society, families and the government should also be involved in such programmes. He said these activities would create awareness among mothers regarding children’s health. He further stated that the first six years of a child’s life are extremely important as their entire future depends on this stage.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that an ideal family and a healthy society cannot be imagined without women’s education, health and awareness, because the physical and mental well-being of children also depends upon mothers. Therefore, strategies to create greater awareness among women should also be included in the department’s future action plan. To provide a supportive environment and empower women, working women hostels and crèche centres for their children should be established in every district.
The Chief Minister said that the Women and Child Development Department should prepare a special awareness campaign across the state to improve the birth rate of girls. He directed the department to set a target of taking Haryana’s sex ratio above the national average of 933 and prepare a concrete action plan to achieve it. He also directed the department to increase the target for anaemia screening among women and children and provide supplements as required. He further issued directions regarding providing special nutritional support to children up to three years of age and lactating mothers.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that a district-wise Women Empowerment Index should be prepared in Haryana to identify districts where facilities for women need to be enhanced. He added that Anganwadi workers and helpers should be given special training to effectively spread awareness among women.
Commissioner and Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, Sh. Shekhar Vidyarthi, informed that at present 25,962 Anganwadi centres are operational across the state. He said that Anganwadi workers and helpers working at these centres are required to upload various types of information related to women and children online. Therefore, the department is preparing a proposal to enhance their capabilities and provide them with the necessary equipment.
Those present on the occasion included Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sh. Rajesh Khullar, Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sh. Arun Gupta, Commissioner and Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department Sh. Shekhar Vidyarthi, Director Dr. Priyanka Soni, OSD to the Chief Minister and Director General of Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management Dr. Raj Nehru, Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sh. Yashpal Yadav and other officers.
