BHUBANESWAR: Mamata, the maternity benefit scheme for pregnant women launched by the State Government, has received good response with registration of 2.5 lakh beneficiaries. The registration of pregnant women started on September 5 and the response is very encouraging in Ganjam, Balasore, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balangir, Dhenkanal, Jagatsingpur, Angul and Kalahandi districts. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the State-sponsored scheme at a meeting here on Tuesday. The meeting was informed that steps are taken to provide the first instalment to at least a lakh beneficiaries by month-end. The Government disbursed ` 10.2 crore to 68,626 beneficiaries on the day the scheme was launched. A conditional cash transfer scheme, pregnant women above the age of 19 are provided financial assistance of ` 5,000 for first two live births to enable them get proper pre and postnatal nutrition. The financial assistance will be given in four instalments, subject to the fact that mothers and mothers-to-be undertake regular health check-ups and vaccination. The first instalment of ` 1,500 will be provided from six to nine months of pregnancy and the second instalment of `1,500 when the child becomes three months old. The third instalment of ` 1,000 will be given when the child is six months old and the last dose of ` 1,000 in the last three months of the child’s first year. The Women and Child Welfare Department has placed a demand for ` 120 crore for the current fiscal. The Government sanctioned `55 crore for the programme to meet the expenditure for initial three months. The balance fund will be made through supplementary budgetary provisions. The State Government has planned to make a budgetary provision of ` 350 crore for the maternity benefit scheme.
Comments
0 comment