New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Saturday announced that task force will be appointed to examine issues about the age of girls entering motherhood. She asserted that the government will focus on the welfare of women and childredn, besides disadvantaged communities.
In an announcement, an official said, "She announced a Rs 35,600 crore outlay for nutrition-related programmes for 2020-21 and an amount of Rs 28,600 crore was allocated for programmes specific to women."
The Finance Minister noted that more and more opportunities were opening up for women to pursue higher education and career, Sitharaman said the entire issue about the age of a girl entering motherhood needed to be seen ain a new light and proposed to appoint a task force for the purpose.
It would present its recommendations in six months time, she added.
Sitharaman went on to say that the government's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme has yielded tremendous results with the gross enrolment ration of girls across all levels of education now being higher than boys.
"Poshan Abhiyan was launched in 2017-18 to improve the nutritional status of children (0-6 years), adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers," said the Finance Minister.
"Over six lakh Anganwadi workers are equipped with smartphones to upload nutritional status of more than 10 crore households," she added.
The budget proposed to provide Rs 35,600 for nutrition-relatged programmes for 2020-21.
Earlier, Sitharaman had said that Mission Indradhanush has been expanded to cover 12 diseases, and five new vaccines have been added.
Meanwhile, The Union budget allocated Rs 10,103.57 crore to the social justice and empowerment ministry for 2020-21 fiscal.
(with IANS inputs)
Posted By: James Kuanal