Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, announced today that all women sarpanches in the state will be appointed as brand ambassadors of their respective villages under the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign. This initiative aims to ensure their active participation in the campaign, which was launched by Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi from Panipat.
He said that the steps taken by the present state government under the campaign to improve the sex ratio are being widely appreciated across the country. Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini was presiding over the review meeting of the Women and Child Development Department here today.
Women and Child Development Department Minister, Smt Shruti Choudhry was also present in the meeting. The Chief Minister said that 10,000 Anganwadi Centres in the State will be developed as Saksham Anganwadi Centres in the next five years.
A grant of Rs 563 lakh has been received from Government of India for upgrading 563 Anganwadi Centres to the Saksham Anganwadi. The Department has also submitted another proposal for the upgradation of 2307 Anganwadi Centres to the Government of India.
Raise awareness among the public, the provisions of the PNDT Act 1994 should be strictly enforced
He emphasized that, in addition to raising awareness among the public, the provisions of the PNDT Act 1994 should be strictly enforced. He directed organizing Nukkad Nataks and other programs in villages to encourage people to save the girl child.
He also proposed that all women in the village should be invited to these programs, which would be addressed by the eldest women of the community. While expressing concern over the use of handheld USG machines for sex determination, the Chief Minister directed the preparation of an effective strategy to track those involved in this illegal practice and take stringent action against them.
4,000 arrests have been made targeting illegal practices by doctors, quacks, and touts
To curb female foeticide and ensure compliance with the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, Haryana has adopted strict enforcement measures. A total of 1,220 FIRs have been registered under the Act from 2015 to 2024. Additionally, 386 FIRs have been registered through inter-state raids, and 4,000 arrests have been made targeting illegal practices by doctors, quacks, and touts.
Children in Anganwadi centers should be provided with a variety of millet-based dishes to meet their nutritional needs
While expressing satisfaction over the improvement in nutrition indicators in Haryana according to NFHS-4 compared to NHFS-5, Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini directed the department to launch a special campaign to identify children aged 0 to 5 years in the state suffering from stunting (low height-for-age) and make Haryana a stunting-free state by improving the nutritional levels of these children.
He emphasized that Haryana should be the first state to achieve this goal. The Chief Minister also stated that children in Anganwadi centers should be provided with a variety of millet-based dishes to meet their nutritional needs. He highlighted that Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi has advocated for the maximum use of millet products to enhance nutrition among the population.
State Government aims to rank among the top three states in the country in the Poshan Abhiyan
Stating that the State Government aims to rank among the top three states in the country in the Poshan Abhiyan, the Chief Minister directed the department to work towards achieving this goal. He suggested organizing various competitions for children in the age group of 1-6 years at the block, district, and state levels under Poshan 2.0, with the winners being honored with awards.
Centers without their own buildings be relocated to unused or underused school and other buildings
While reviewing the functioning of Anganwadi centers in the state, the Chief Minister directed that centers without their own buildings be relocated to unused or underused school and other buildings until their own buildings are constructed. He also instructed that all necessary facilities be ensured at these temporary locations.
Budget provision of Rs 200 crore made under Mukhya Mantri Dudh Uphaar Yojna
It was informed during the meeting that there are 25,962 Anganwadi centers in the state, with 23,447 Anganwadi Workers (AWW) and 21,127 Anganwadi Helpers (AWH). The Women and Child Development Department has implemented various schemes to improve nutrition among children.
Under the Mukhya Mantri Dudh Uphaar Yojna, a variety of food items, including instant kheer, protein milk bars, and skimmed milk powder, are being provided to children (1-6 years) as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. A budget provision of Rs 200 crore has been made for the financial year 2024-25.
4000 Anganwadi Centres transformed into hubs of play-based education and nutrition
It was informed that the transformative initiatives of the department were also appreciated in the Chintin Shivir organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development at Udaipur, Rajasthan from January 10 to 12, 2025. Haryana’s Playschool Model has transformed over 4000 Anganwadi Centres into hubs of play-based education and nutrition, benefiting more than 41,000 children.
The Haryana crèche model has established a network of Anganwadi-cum-creches and standalone crèches, supporting 7500 children and empowering working mothers. Apart from this, existing 355 Sanskritik Kender are proposed to be revamped as Mahila Chaupal. Commissioner and Secretary, Women and Child Development Department Smt Amneet P. Kumar gave a detailed presentation on the functioning of the department.
Among those present in the meeting included Chief Secretary Dr Vivek Joshi, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh Rajesh Khullar, Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare, Department Sh Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr Saket Kumar and other senior officers.