According to an official statement, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated on Wednesday that the state’s Anganwadi center count has “doubled” in the last seven years.
The Chief Minister underlined the critical role that Anganwadi workers have played in lowering mother and child mortality rates over the past seven years while presenting appointment letters to 3,077 recently selected workers in a program held at Lok Bhavan as a part of Mission Rozgar.
CM Yogi highlighted data from the National Family Health Survey, pointing to a significant decrease in the rates of maternal and infant mortality. “The maternal mortality rate in the state was 285 per lakh in 2014, which has come down to 167, whereas the infant mortality rate, which was 48 thousand per lakh in 2014, has reduced to 38 thousand,” he stated.
In addition, he laid the cornerstone for 1,459 new Anganwadi Center structures spread over 31 districts, each costing Rs 173 crore to construct.
The chief minister stated, “Today, the double-engine government is providing ‘hot-cooked meals’ to children through women’s self-help groups and Anganwadi workers.”
“These field workers were tasked with screening the COVID-19-infected people as well as providing them with medicines,” the Chief Minister said, praising the commitment of Anganwadi workers, ANMs, and Asha workers during the global pandemic. The state’s ability to stop the virus’s spread was greatly aided by this proactive strategy.”
“Thanks to the hard work of our field workers, there are no encephalitis-related deaths in the state today. Their outstanding work has established a standard for the country,” he continued.
Anganwadi workers, according to him, are similar to “Maa Yashoda.” “Just as Maa Yashoda cared for Lord Shri Krishna, Anganwadi workers are tirelessly caring for thousands of children across every Anganwadi centre in the state.”
When CM Yogi looked back on Uttar Pradesh’s transformational journey, he stressed that the state had changed remarkably in the last seven years, with notable breakthroughs in a variety of fields that were visible to all. This was true even though the departments and personnel remained the same.
Through Anganwadi centers and women’s self-help groups across the state, the double-engine government is creating high-quality recipe centers at every block level. 204 such centers will be developed in the first phase. It will create thousands of jobs. Furthermore, this project will guarantee that wholesome food is available in Uttar Pradesh, which will be a major step in raising the state’s nutritional standards, stated the Chief Minister.
He underscored the crucial role of Anganwadi workers in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India), emphasizing that their efforts are vital for maintaining healthy childhoods. “A healthy childhood paves the way for healthy youth, enabling society to fully harness its talent and potential,” he added.
Women Welfare and Child Development Minister Baby Rani Maurya, Minister of State for Women Welfare and Child Development Pratibha Shukla, along with other dignitaries and Anganwadi workers attended the program.