The Hindu : Pact with UNICEF to reduce infant, maternal mortality

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2003

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Pact with UNICEF to reduce infant, maternal mortality

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JAN. 13. India today entered into a programme of cooperation worth $400 million with the UNICEF for five years to reduce infant and maternal mortality, address the problem of malnutrition among children and protect children and adolescents from HIV/AIDS.

The agreement was signed here by the Secretary to the Department of Women and Child Development, R.V.V. Ayyar, and the UNICEF Country Representative, Maria Calivis. According to the Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), Murli Manohar Joshi, the outlay is the largest doled out by the UNICEF to any country, and the partnership among the longest in the history of the United Nations.

Between 1999 and 2002, the allocation for the Government of India - UNICEF Programme of Cooperation was $300 million. As far as the UNICEF is concerned, India — being home to 380 million children — holds the key to achieving a quantum leap for children globally, and the programme of cooperation is aimed at the progressive realisation of the rights of children and women.

Dr. Joshi said at a press conference that the Cabinet accepted his Ministry's proposal to nearly double the honorarium paid to "anganwadi" workers and helpers. The "anganwadi" workers would be paid Rs. 1,063 and the helpers Rs. 500 a month. These rates were last revised in May 1997 since when "anganwadi" workers were paid Rs. 568 and helpers Rs. 260 a month. The new rates will be applicable with retrospective effect from April 1, 2002.

The increase would infuse dynamism into the Integrated Child Development Scheme — billed as the world's largest community-based child development programme — covering over 5,652 blocks of the country. The honorarium given by the Centre will be in addition to that offered by States.

The number of beneficiaries receiving supplementary nutrition at the "anganwadis", the Minister said, had increased from 2.9 crores in March 2001 to 3.94 crores in September 2002 — an increase of about 36 per cent. Similarly, the number of beneficiaries per "anganwadi" centre has also increased from 70 in March 2001 to 84 in September 2002; a 20 per cent increase.

Also, the Government had decided to give maternity leave of 135 days in a year to "anganwadi" workers and helpers. A reward scheme has been introduced at the Central and State levels with a cash award of Rs. 25,000 each.

To breathe new life into the ICDS Programme and to optimise the coverage of beneficiaries, the Centre has allowed States to relocate sanctioned anganwadis.

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