Telangana formulating new scheme to prevent malnutrition among women: Satyavathi

Satyavathi Rathod proposes an allocation of Rs 1,701.99 crore for Women Development and Child Welfare department in the 2021-22 budget

Hyderabad: Minister for Tribal Welfare, Women Development and Child Welfare, Satyavathi Rathod, announced that the State government was formulating a new scheme to prevent malnutrition among women in Telangana State.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has already constituted a team of nine women civil servants led by CMO Secretary Smitha Sabharwal to study various nutrition schemes for women in other States and prepare a comprehensive nutrition programme for women in Telangana after observing the severity of malnutrition among women as per National Family Health Survey.

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The Minister made the announcement in the Assembly here on Tuesday, while proposing an allocation of Rs 1,701.99 crore for Women Development and Child Welfare department in the 2021-22 budget. She stated that the State government was also considering the proposal to provide additional nutritious food for children. She said the Chief Minister had doubled budget allocations for Aarogya Lakshmi scheme from Rs 139 crore in the 2020-21 budget to Rs 278 crore in 2021-22 giving priority to women’s health.

Seeking approval for the proposed budgetary allocation of Rs 11,516.21 crore for Tribal Welfare Department, Satyavathi Rathod said the State government sanctioned an additional Rs 2,856.31 crore when compared to the allocations made during previous fiscal (2020-21).

She said the State government was effectively implementing the ST sub-plan where the budget allocations have been increased from 9,771.28 crore in the 2020-21 budget to Rs 12,304.23 crore in 2021-22. As against the 9.08 per cent tribal population in entire population of Telangana, the government had sanctioned 9.74 per cent funds in the entire budget.

Minister for SC Development and Minority Welfare Koppula Eeshwar stated that the budgetary allocations of Rs 19,313.11 crore were made for SC Development and Rs 1,606.39 crore for Women Development and Child Welfare department.