New Delhi: Fulfilling the promises that she had made for the holistic development of her Parliamentary constituency, Union Minister for Women and Child Development & Textiles Smriti Irani on Wednesday inaugurated the 1,000th Nand Ghar in Amethi.
While inaugurating the 1,000th Nand Ghar in her Parliamentary constituency, Irani said, "It is a great honour to be a part of this initiative and see the community and industry leaders come together for a noble cause that focuses on the overall well being of children and women. With Nand Ghar, a key component of holistic development has made its entry in Amethi."
"As we embark upon the launch of "Poshan Maah" (nutrition month) in September, it is good to see that Vedanta through its CSR activities has come forward to support the government in its endeavour to enhance the development of women and children," she said.
"We hope that we would continue receiving such support and do more for women and children from underprivileged sections across the length and breadth of the country and realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of an empowered New India," the Union Minister said.
The inauguration of the 1,000th Nand Ghar is a key milestone for the flagship CSR programme of 'mining to metals' conglomerate Vedanta Ltd, which has been spearheading this programme in association with the Ministry of Women and Child Development to build and refurbish Anganwadis in various states across the country.
The completion of the 1,000th Nand Ghar would usher in a new era of progress and growth for women and children and lead to their holistic development. With these 1,000 Nand Ghars, the initiative is benefitting around 40,000 children and 30,000 women across India.
Vedanta has planned an outlay of over Rs 800 crore for setting up 4,000 Nand Ghars across India over next few years, thus complementing the government's vision for a strong and prosperous nation.
With 4,000 Nand Ghars spread across India, the flagship CSR programme will touch lives of around 4 million community members while directly impacting around 2,00,000 children and around 1,80,000 women on an annuawl basis.
The Nand Ghars are equipped with televisions for e-learning, solar panels for reliable power, safe drinking water, clean toilets and have emerged as an ideal model for replication in other parts of the country. There are currently 14 lakh Anganwadis in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Vedanta Group Founder and Chairman Anil Agarwal said, "We have always believed in actively being a part of the growth and future of the nation with a focus on the development of the women and children of our country."