HAILAKANDI, Dec 4 - The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) Saptah got under way in Hailakandi district.
The week-long programme kicked off with formal inauguration by the District Development Commissioner, Vikram Dev Sharma at the Deputy Commissioner�s conference hall here on Monday in the presence of officials of nodal Social Welfare department and line departments, BDOs, frontline workers, students, CBOs, NGOs, representatives from urban local bodies and other stakeholders. Sharma instructed the District Social Welfare Officer, CDPOs and supervisors for proper observance of Matru Vandana Saptah.
Various activities would be taken up at the district, anganwadi centres and block levels during the week-long drive to help pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for first live birth. Among the activities lined up include taking out procession, setting up of PMMVY information booths, door-to-door campaign, gaon sabha meetings, recipe demonstration, meeting with bank officials, discussion on VHSND, role play, forming human chain and felicitation programme.
Selfie corners are being put up at district level and anganwadi centres for pregnant women for first live birth.
A review meeting was also held to take stock of the preparedness on Saturday.
What was launched as Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) in 2010 under the previous UPA government has now been rechristened as Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). PMMVY is a conditional cash transfer scheme and provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss which happens during childbirth and childcare.
The scheme ensures safe delivery and good nutrition for mothers having their first child. However, maternity benefits under the PMMVY are not available to women who are under regular employment with the Central/State government or a public sector undertaking.
The benefits of the scheme also do not extend to women who are receiving similar benefits under any law in that period of time.
PMMVY is sponsored by the Centre in collaboration with States and UTs. The Centre to State funding ratio is 60:40 while for North Eastern States and three Himalayan States, it is 90:10.
