Financial aid of Rs. 3.25 crore given to expecting mothers in Barnala district: DC
Jasbir Kapoor/ royalpatiala.in/ Barnala
Under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna (PMMVY), a maternity benefit scheme being implemented by Department of Social Security & Development of Women & Children Punjab, financial assistance of Rs. 3,24,99,000 have been provided to expecting mothers in Barnala district. The financial aid of Rs. 5000 is being given to pregnant women for the delivery of the first child under PMMVY and as many as 7,928 such women have been facilitated under this scheme in Barnala. DC said that Rs. 82.15 lakh rupees have been disbursed to as many as 2,020 beneficiaries during the current financial year.
Divulging the details about the program, Deputy Commissioner Tej Partap Singh Phoolka informed that to avail the benefit under this scheme, pregnant women have to register themselves at nearby Anganwari centers or at the office of Child Development and Project Officer within 150 days of Last Menstrual Period (LMP) date and have to procure Mother-Child Health Card. He directed the department officials to make the pregnant women aware about balanced diet and other factors concerned with health under Mission ‘Tandarust Punjab. He added that Punjab Government had launched this mission with an aim of improving health standards of the residents of the state.
District Program Officer Kulwinder Singh informed that the financial assistance would be given in three installments and first-time expecting registered mother will receive Rs 1,000 after registration of pregnancy as the first installment, Rs 2,000 after one antenatal check-up following six months of pregnancy and Rs 2,000 after the childbirth is registered and has received the first cycle of vaccination.
Meanwhile, DPO informed that those women who have delivered their first child after January 1, 2017, could avail the benefit of the flagship scheme. He said that the beneficiaries should have personal bank account and the benefit under the scheme will be given to pregnant women for the delivery of the first child only. He added that this benefit would be different from other monetary support by any government department being given to expecting mothers.
