By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/ROURKELA: Young IAS officer Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, who is heading the mineral rich Sundargarh district on Sunday flooded several welfare schemes, that will be implemented with help of funds from District Mineral Foundation and Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation.
Sources said series of development programs have been launched in Sundargarh district to foster women and child development. The flagship program in this subject, ‘Matrujyoti’ was inaugurated at a special ceremony held on Sunday at Sadbhavana Bhawan, Collectorate Sundargarh. In addition, initiatives were launched to provide life skills training for adolescent girls and women and job oriented courses for migrants and local youth of mining affected areas.
The logo of ‘Matrujyoti’, which will be used as an umbrella program for various women and child development interventions, was unveiled on the occasion. Similarly, the quarterly newsletter ‘Ama Sundargarh’ was also released. The newsletter shall present various developmental projects and connect with the stakeholders and general public of the district.
“In Sundargarh, the maternal and infant mortality rate is lower than the state rate. We aim to further strengthen mother and child health programs under the ‘Matrujyoti’ initiative. In addition to the present services under ‘Mamata’ scheme for antenatal care, the district administration will take steps to ensure ultrasound tests four times during pregnancy for every mother”, said Shri Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, Collector Sundargarh.
Along with eight government hospitals in the district, 41 private ultrasound clinics have been contracted to provide ultrasound services to pregnant women. The program will benefit more than 28,000 mothers in the district each year.
Steps are also being taken to make Anganwadi more accommodating for both mothers and children. The district has taken up modernization of more than 2,500 Anganwadi Centres and shall build over more than 700 Model Anganwadi Centres with modern infra and child friendly amenities. Under the ‘Matrujyoti’ program, various measures have also been taken to improve the health of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) condition.
The District Mineral Foundation, DMF Sundargarh and Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) have provided funds for the ‘Matrujyoti’ and other programs launched.
Among others, MLA Rourkela & Chairman DPC Sarada Prasad Nayak, MLA Sundargarh Kusum Tete, MLA Rajgangpur Dr. CS Raazen Ekka, MLA Talsara Shri Bhabani Shankar Bhoi, Chairperson Zilla Parishad Emma Ekka, SP Sundargarh Sagaraika Nath, PD DRDA Shri Bhairabh Singh Patel, Sub Collector Sundargarh Abhimanyu Behera, CDMO Sundargarh Dr. Saroj Kumar Mishra, CEO DMF Shri Rasai Lagori and DSWO Smt. Prativa Das graced the occasion.
District Administration also signed an MoU with Humara Bachpan Trust to implement a Life Skills Programme for Adolescent Girls and Women. The programme will help them augment their skills for a better livelihood. This program is supported from NTPC CSR fund. Smt. Dharitri Patnaik, Founder Chairperson Humara Bachpan Trust and Chairperson FICCI Ladies Organisation FLO, Bhubaneswar Chapter signed the MoU with the administration.
Similarly, a job oriented residential training program on Hotel Management for migrants and local youth of mining affected areas has been initiated. The candidates will be offered diploma and degree courses on the subject at State Institute of Hotel Management, Balangir.Work has started for the renovation & development of Bijuli Bandh in Sundargarh town. The site will have amenities like musical fountain, jogging track, cycle track, children’s play area, open air theatre and open gym etc. adding value to the life of locals. The formal stone for the same was laid by MLA Rourkela & DPC Chairman Sarada Prasad Nayak in presence of MLA Sundargarh, Zilla Parishad Chairperson, Collector & DM Sundargarh, SP Sundargarh and other dignitaries.
