One-stop centres in NE to receive active support from Centre: Irani

Guwahati: Anganwadis and one-stop centres across the Northeast region will receive active support from the Centre to ensure that geographical and logistical challenges are met expeditiously, Union minister Smriti Irani said here on Sunday.

Speaking about the one-stop centres, the Union Women and Child Development Minister said that collaborated effort is taken up in those facilities where various branches of government come together to ensure that police, psycho-social and legal counsellors under one roof provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces in a phased manner.

Three hundred more such centres will be opened in the country, the minister said.

In the past three years, 70 lakh women have received support from the government in collaboration with women helplines across the country.

Chairing a zonal conference of all Northeastern states, she discussed various developmental schemes initiated by her ministry.

Participants from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Nagaland attended the event.

In her address, Irani also highlighted the details of 'Poshan Abhiyan' and other initiatives of the Ministry.

'Poshan Abhiyan' or the National Nutrition Mission is a Central government programme launched with the aim of reducing the levels of stunting, undernutrition, anaemia and low birth weight in children.

The minister said that improving nutrition among women and children has transformed into a 'Jan Andolan' (people's movement) today.

Praising the efforts of various stakeholders for their contribution, she said that addressing the issues of health and nutrition of women and children has been possible because of their cooperation and support.

On the other initiatives, Irani said that there are around 25 crore women benefiting from Jan-Dhan Yojana, while 68 per cent of the beneficiaries of Mudra Yojana are women and 80 per cent of the beneficiaries of Stand-Up India are women.

Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai highlighted the three major umbrella schemes of the Ministry -- Mission Poshan, Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalya.

Mission Shakti comprises policies and schemes for protection and empowerment of women such as one-stop centre, mahila police volunteer, women's helpline, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana

Yojana.