GUWAHATI, June 12 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today launched Chief Minister�s Vision for Women & Children 2016 highlighting 16 goals, including bringing down of infant and maternal mortality rates, at a function held at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra auditorium here today.
Launching the vision document, Gogoi said that it aims to improve the living condition of poor women and children and to provide the rights to the deprived segments who constitute the twin pillars of society. �If the womenfolk and children lag behind, no state or society can march ahead. We can build a prosperous Assam only if the condition of our poor women and children improve by leaps and bounds,� he added.
The Chief Minister said that the vision document would focus on health related issues like Infant mortality rate (IMR), maternal mortality rate (MMR), anaemia, malnutrition, underweight children, besides key issues like female literacy, trafficking of women and children, witch hunting, child labour, child sex ratio and reduction of girl marriage before 18, said an official release.
Gogoi said though IMR and MMR percentage has gone down in the past five years, the State has to step up its efforts to bring it down below the national average. �IMR and MMR were issues that did not get much importance in the past. But now these issues have become matters of serious concern and steps are being taken in right earnest to trim down the percentage of IMR and MMR through a slew of measures,� he said.
The Chief Minister said the government�s focus is on the backward and far-flung areas of the State. �Most of the health and socio-economic problems exist in areas like tea gardens, riverine (char) and tribal areas. We want to develop these areas so that the people enjoy the fruits of development,� he added.
Gogoi said the State government would bring about a legislation to prevent employment of minor children below 18 years by public servants and public representatives. �Punishment will be meted out if anyone employs a minor child in household chores,� he added.
The Chief Minister also launched a web portal of the vision document on the occasion. The inaugural ceremonial function was addressed, among others, by Minister for Panchayat & Rural Development Rokibul Hussain, Minister for Health & Education Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister for Social Welfare Akon Bora, Minister for Public Health Engineering Gautam Roy, Minister for Planning & Development Tanka Bahadur Rai, Minister for Labour & Employment Prithibi Majhi and Principal Secretary Planning & Development Department Kumar Sanjay Krishna.
