Pregnant and lactating women in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district are receiving improved nutrition, regular health check-ups, and financial aid for safe motherhood through the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. This central government program aims to support pregnant and lactating mothers by providing financial assistance during the birth of their first child to enhance their nutrition and cover lost wages. Thousands of mothers and newborns in the district have already benefited from this initiative.
Under the scheme, eligible women are entitled to Rs 5,000 in two installments after the birth of their first child, from conception until the child’s prescribed vaccinations are completed. An additional one-time assistance of Rs 6,000 is granted if the second child is a girl. The program’s goal is to ensure pregnant women receive nutritious food, promote safe motherhood, and reduce maternal and infant mortality rates.
Since 2022-23, a total of 27,053 pregnant women in Mahasamund district have availed benefits from the scheme. Out of these, 14,423 women have received the first installment of over 24.32 crore to ensure access to nutritious food and essential health services during pregnancy. Moreover, 8,211 women have received over 1.64 crore rupees as the second installment after their newborn’s scheduled vaccinations, while 4,420 mothers have obtained over 2.65 crore rupees in financial aid after the birth of their second daughter.
Women who have benefited from the scheme expressed gratitude for the financial assistance, mentioning that it helped them secure nutritious food, medicines, and essential healthcare during their pregnancies. Many women also invested the funds in the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) to secure their daughters’ futures. The district administration and the Women and Child Development Department are working diligently to ensure that all eligible women receive the scheme’s benefits.
Collector Vinay Kumar Langeh highlighted the significant role of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in enhancing maternal and child health by providing financial support to women and promoting institutional delivery, timely health check-ups, and complete vaccination of newborns. The scheme has positively impacted maternal and child health indicators in the district, fostering positive social change by encouraging healthy mothers, healthy children, and the birth of daughters.
