Mangaluru: Minister for Women and Child Development Shashikala Jolle informed that measures will be taken to implement “Poshan Abhiyan” ( the ambitious scheme of the Union Government which was initiated two years ago) in Karnataka soon.
Addressing the gathering during the inauguration of the district level women’s conference “Stree Shaksthi Samavesha”, organised at the Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall on Wednesday, February 12, Jolle said, “The goal of the ‘Poshan Abhiyan’ is to achieve improvement in the nutritional status of children from the ages of 0-6 years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. However, it has not been implemented it in the state. Measures will be taken to implement it swiftly, in order to achieve improvement in the nutritional status of children and women.”
She also informed that smartphones will be issued to Anganwadi workers under this Poshan Abhiyan scheme, through which the nutritional status of the children, lactating women can be received by the officials of the Women and Child Development Department.
Jolle informed that several plans have been discussed to empower women at the government level and insisted that funds be earmarked in the budget for this purpose. “After the budget, such pro-women programmes will be implemented properly. Women should not depend on others for her requirements, which is why many programmes will come from the women and child development department in the next coming days,” she said.
Inaugurating the programme, Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, “The Union Government’s scheme, ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’, which has been initiated as part of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, should be focussed more in the state also, in order to empower women. If women are empowered, the whole society will be empowered.”
Meanwhile, presidents of the taluk ‘Stree Shakthi’ groups, who were the reason why the groups won the ‘best group in taluk level’ title, were felicitated on the occasion.
Products prepared by the various ‘Stree Shakthi’ groups of the district, were displayed at the conference. Some members grabbed the attention of the public by drawing ‘rangoli’ at the entrance of the Town Hall.
Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath presided over the programme.
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA U T Khader, National Women Commission (NWC) member Shyamala Kunder, district Stree Shakthi Federation president Mamatha, Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy president Dayanand Kattalsar, Zilla Panchayat president Meenakshi Shanthigodu, vice president Kasthuri Panja, Aasare Charitable Trust president Dr Asha Jyothi Rai, ZP members like Sucharitha Shetty, Mamatha Gatti and others were present.
