State government has made tremendous strides with approval and launch of several big initiatives to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The Government has accorded high priority to the issue of malnutrition in pregnant women and lactating mothers and is successfully implementing Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) to address the problem of malnutrition amongst pregnant women and lactating mothers of the state. The scheme is being implemented through Women and Child Development department.
Under the scheme, maternity benefit is provided to eligible pregnant women and lactating mothers on birth of first living child. The eligible beneficiaries are given incentive of Rs. 5000 in three installments as per approved norms and fulfilling of conditionality.
As many as one lakh 96 thousand 491 beneficiaries are registered in the state under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and benefit of 82.59 crore has been credited in the bank account of the beneficiaries since inception of the scheme in the year 2017. In the year 2021-22, about 18603 beneficiaries have been registered till date and rupees six crore 10 lakh 32 thousand have been deposited in the account of beneficiaries.
Keeping in view the nutritional requirement of pregnant women and lactating mothers, providing partial compensation for wage lose and improvement in their health, the state government has ensured effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. Under the scheme, in district Shimla about 19019 beneficiaries have been benefited with rupees seven crore 87 lakh 75 thousand and in district Solan 16440 eligible women have benefited with an expenditure of rupees six crore 40 lakh. Since implementation of the scheme, in district Kangra about 21 crore has been spent to benefit 47 thousand eligible women under the scheme.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under the umbrella of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme has direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition among women and children in the country.
All pregnant women and lactating mothers, excluding those who are in regular employment with Centre government or state government or PSUs or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force are being covered under this scheme.