PM hails efforts made in health, nutrition sectors in Barwani by then collector Shivraj Singh
BHOPAL / Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the efforts made by the then collector of Barwani Shivraj Singh in the health and nutrition sector, one of the focus areas under the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP).
“Barwani district in Madhya Pradesh has increased the number of immunised children from 40 per cent to nearly 90 per cent. This is a concern for the lives of kids”, PM Modi mentioned in his speech while addressing the Global Business Summit held recently in New Delhi.
Modi was giving the example of Aspirational districts where the administration has taken many steps for the welfare of people under the reimagination concept.
Shivraj Singh had launched innovative ideas of ‘Mission Ummeed’, ‘Mission Bal Shakti’, and Pahunch Abhiyan, and a dramatic change has been reported in reducing IMR (Infant Mortality Rate), MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) and anaemia. A great outcome has been witnessed in increasing institutional deliveries by from 40 to 91 per cent.
As a collector of Barwani, Shivraj Singh, who is now posted as the collector of Khargone had taken many innovations in the significant performance indicators suggested by the NITI (National Institute for Transforming India) Aayog. The district has shown significant progress in various sectors.
According to the recent release report of the National Family Health Survey-5, the percentage of institutional delivery has reached 97 from 50.7. A marked increase has also been registered in health-seeking behaviour among the tribal populations in the district. And Barwani district has achieved the top position in the progress of the H&N fields in the country.
The district has got the first rank in the country in the recently released data of the Aayog in the Health and Nutrition (H&N) sector while it has secured the second position in the delta ranking (overall).
Singh has recently given a presentation at Civil Services Officers Institution, New Delhi on the innovations plied in the district under ADP. He was invited by the government of India.
Barwani has more than 70 per cent tribal population and is one of the districts of the country that are selected under the ADP scheme of NITI Aayog. PM Modi launched the ADP scheme in January 2018 under NITI Aayog and chose the 112 most backward districts of the country, aiming to quickly and effectively stimulate local development and transform these districts.
On the based of 49 key performance indicators spread across sectors, the major indicators are Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure.
The collector was also invited on August 11 last year by the NITI Aayog to share his ideas on possible focus areas and great outcomes that a district can target for instance reduction in IMR, MMR etc.
The NITI Aayog has allocated around Rs 20 crore (maximum in the state) to Barwani district as an award so far for excellent performance.
“It is the result of the efforts made by the field staff like Mamta Brigade, Aanganwadi workers, ASHAs and the officials of the related department”, Singh told The Sun Today.
Before launching the innovations, malnutrition, lack of institutional deliveries and anaemia etc were the major challenges in the district.
