Ranchi, July 24: Jharkhand has emerged as the top-performing state in the country during the month long special registration drive under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), registering nearly twice the targeted number of beneficiaries and achieving 194 per cent of its assigned target.
The special drive, launched from June 15, aimed to enrol eligible pregnant women and lactating mothers under the Centre’s flagship maternity benefit scheme. According to official data, Jharkhand registered 46,955 beneficiaries against the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development’s target of 24,203.
Chhattisgarh secured the second position with 185 per cent target achievement, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 184 per cent.
The PMMVY provides financial assistance to pregnant women and lactating mothers to partly compensate for wage loss, encourage adequate rest before and after childbirth, and promote institutional healthcare, nutrition and maternal well-being.
Congratulating officials and frontline workers for the achievement, State Social Welfare Director Kiran Kumari Pasi credited the success to the collective efforts of district administrations, Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), supervisors, Anganwadi workers and helpers.
“Their dedication and spirit of service are evident in their efforts to reach remote villages, hilly terrains, and inaccessible areas to ensure the registration of eligible pregnant and lactating mothers,” Pasi said.
Officials attributed the state’s performance to timely training programmes, continuous monitoring and regular review meetings conducted at both the state and district levels throughout the campaign.
While lauding the achievement, the department also identified several areas requiring sustained attention, including faster transfer of financial benefits to beneficiaries after registration, improved outreach in remote and tribal regions, resolution of bank account and identity documentation issues, enhanced awareness about institutional deliveries, and stronger cybersecurity measures to safeguard digital records.
“Several areas need continued attention, including swift transfer of financial benefits, wider outreach in remote tribal belts, resolution of bank account and identity documentation issues, stronger community awareness on institutional deliveries, and protection of digital records against cyber threats,” officials said.
Pasi stressed that continued coordination among the Social Welfare Department, Health Department, local administration and grassroots workers would be crucial to sustaining the state’s performance.
“Continued coordination among departmental officials, the health sector, local administration and grass-roots workers would help Jharkhand remain a benchmark state for maternal and child welfare programmes nationwide,” she said.
