WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

                    This department was found on 16th August  1996 by bifurcation from the Social Welfare Department, as per instructions of the government  of India with a view to focus more attention to the women and Child Development  exclusively.

                    The Department of Women and Child Development deals with provision of Nutrition/Health support to the children and pregnant & lactating mothers, Women development programmes under the women Development Sector and old Age people and widows by providing financial assistance, family welfare by providing free rice & clothing.

                     The programmes of this department, cover, more than half of the population of this Union Territory . The majority of people covered by this sector are unprotected workers. Labourers, largely invisible, easy subjects of exploitation, unorganized, illiterates, struggling to survive in adverse conditions facing a biased as well as insensitive system.

                     This department has 5 ICDS Projects (3 Rural + 2 urban) with 677 Anganwadi centres to achieve the following objectives:

1. To improve the nutritional & health  status of children in the age group of 0 to 6 years.

2. To lay the foundations for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.

3. To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout.

4. To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote Child Development.

5. To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

                     About 10,000 mothers and 38,000 children are benefiting. Likewise 218 Balwadies are providing pre-school education alongwith mid-day meals to the children in the age group of 3-6 years.

SCHEMES

1. ADMISSION OF CHILDREN IN THE BALWADIES.

2. BALIKA SAMRITHI YOJANA 

3. EDUCATIONAL ALLOWANCES TO THE CHILDREN OF WIDOWS.

4. GRANT OF MARRIAGE ALLOWANCES TO THE WIDOW’S DAUGHTERS

5. GRANT OF  INCENTIVE FOR WIDOW’S REMARRIAGE

6. REIMBURSEMENT OF TUITION FEES FOR THE TYPEWRITING SHORTHAND FOR THE CHILDREN OF WIDOWS.

7. OLD AGE AND WIDOW PENSION.

8. NATIONAL MATERNITY BENEFIT SCHEME

9. NATIONAL FAMILY BENEFIT SCHEME

10. NATIONAL OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME

11. SUPPLY OF UTENSILS AND SEWING MACHINES TO MATHARSANGAMS.

12. DISTRIBUTION OF FREE SAREES AND DHOTIES TO THE POOR AND ECONOMICALLY BACKWARD PEOPLE.