Implementing ICDS – Bengal shows the way

Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) plays a pivotal role in providing health and nutrition service to pregnant mothers, lactating mothers and children. During the last few years, the State Government has consistently increased the financial support to these workers and helpers.

Hon’ble Chief Minister has recently brought all the Anganwadi workers and helpers under the comprehensive health insurance ‘Swasthya Sathi’. Their monthly honourium has also been increased by Rs 500.

A total of 1377360 pregnant and lactating women have been provided supplementary nutrition (January, 2015). The state has introduced enhanced financial provision for ICDS SNP in all the districts from Nov’14 at the rate of Rs. 9, Rs. 7 and Rs. 6 for severely malnourished children, pregnant & lactating mothers and others respectively.

 

মা ও শিশুদের পুষ্টির জোগানে মমতার স্পর্শ বাংলায়

গর্ভবতী মা, প্রসূতি ও শিশুদের স্বাস্থ্য ও পুষ্টির ক্ষেত্রে ইন্টিগ্রেটেড চাইল্ড ডেভেলপমেন্ট স্কিম বা আইসিডিএসের ভুমিকা অপরিসীম।

এ রাজ্যে, জানুয়ারি ২০১৫ পর্যন্ত ১৩৭৭৩৬০ জন গর্ভবতী ও প্রসূতিদের পুষ্টিকর খাদ্য প্রদান করা হয়েছে। ২০১৪ সালের নভেম্বর মাস থেকে রাজ্য সরকার সব জেলায় বর্ধিত হারে অর্থনৈতিক সহায়তা করছে আইসিডিএস এসএনপি-তে।

গত ছ’বছরে রাজ্যসরকার এই প্রকল্পে নিযুক্ত কর্মী ও সহযোগীদের জন্য অর্থনৈতিক সহযোগিতা বাড়িয়ে চলেছে যাতে প্রকল্প বাস্তবায়নে ত্রুটি না থাকে।

কিছুদিন আগেই মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় অঙ্গনওয়াড়ি কর্মী ও সহযোগীদের স্বাস্থ্য সাথী প্রকল্পের আওতায় এনেছেন। তাঁদের মাসিক ভাতা বাড়ানো হয়েছে।

Kanyashree beneficiaries to get nutritious food till the age of 18

The state government has decided to bring in Kanyashree beneficiaries of six districts under another successful scheme for girls called ‘Sabla’. An idea has been mulled to let girl students get nutritional food even after Class VIII and, at the same time, get empowered by learning life and vocational skills.

It may be mentioned that at present mid-day meal is provided to all students between primary level and Class VIII. Hence, the state government had initiated a process so as to provide nutritional food to girl students, even after they complete Class VIII, till the age of 18.

Sabla is a scheme for adolescent girls in the age group of 11 to 18 years. The girls will simply need to visit the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the anganwadi centres to get nutritional food.

In addition to getting nutritional food from schools in their mid-day meals till they pass Class VIII, the girls enrolled in the Sabla scheme will also get food with similar nutritional value from ICDS centres till the age of 18 years.

Minister of State for of Health and Family Welfare Dr Shashi Panja said initially the step will be taken in districts including Nadia, Malda, Kolkata, Cooch Behar, Purulia and Jalpaiguri.

 

Do not neglect Bengal: WB CM tells Prime Minister

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee  with the Prime Minister to India today and will reiterate the demands of the State.

“Bengal should not be deprived and neglected. I raised this issue with the PM,” she said after her meeting. “No state should be neglected. We want every state to prosper. People of Bengal also should not be neglected,” she added.

The Chief Minister said, “Bengal suffered a lot due to Left rule. They incurred heavy debt. We increased our revenues but it is taken away to pay installment.”

“Earlier CMs could raise issues of their State and plan sizes were made at Planning Commission. There should be a full-fledged meet of Niti Ayog where CMs can raise issues of their States,” the CM added.

WB CM also highlighted how Bengal has been ignored in the list of heritage tourism sites by Centre. “Centre has drawn up a list of heritage tourism sites but places like Belur, Dakkhineshwar, Tarapith etc do not feature in it. Bengal is the land of Netaji. Bengal is where Tagore was born, where Ramakrishna spread spirituality. Bengal should not be neglected,” she said.

Bengal deprived of funds

West Bengal is being denied and deprived by the Centre in every sector and has not yet received the financial assistance for flood and drought relief.

The Centre has slashed funds for 37 projects and 50 schemes in the last one year. Earlier, under the ICDS scheme, the State contributed 10 per cent and the Centre 90 per cent. Now it has become the reverse.

The West Bengal Chief minister has been repeatedly asking for funds from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in 12 districts, but no money was received from the Centre.

The State Government had arranged for Rs 1500 crore for flood relief and Rs 3000 crore for developmental work at Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore districts which were under BRGF.

The Centre has also been slashing funds for other projects such as police modernisation and Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan. Bengal has 18,000 SSKs and 2,000 MSKs that are run by the panchayat department. For these, the Centre used to provide 65 per cent of the salary bills of 75,000 teachers engaged in the units. The Centre has now put more burdens on the State by changing the Centre-State share.

In August, the Chief Minister met the Prime Minister and demanded Rs 6,000 crore to tackle the post-flood situation in Bengal.