Chandigarh, May 15
Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said women and children are the foundation of society and the nation, asserting that no country can become strong without ensuring their empowerment and welfare.
Reviewing the proposed five-year action plan of the Women and Child Development Department under Haryana Vision 2047, the chief minister directed officials to prioritise measures to improve the lives of women and children across the state.
Saini said the Haryana government is committed to building an inclusive and equitable society where women can live with dignity and safety, and where children receive opportunities for healthy growth in a secure environment. He instructed officials to prepare a district-wise Women Empowerment Index to identify regions where facilities and support systems for women require further strengthening.
The chief minister also said that Anganwadi workers and helpers should be provided with specialised training to effectively spread awareness among women at the grassroots level. According to an official statement, Saini directed the department to introduce activities and programmes to assess whether children are achieving age-appropriate physical and mental developmental milestones.
He suggested organising health competitions and awareness programmes for children of different age groups and said winning participants should be rewarded. He added that families, community representatives and government agencies should jointly participate in such initiatives to improve awareness regarding child health.
“The first six years of a child’s life are extremely important because the future development of a child depends largely on this stage,” Saini said during the meeting. Highlighting the importance of women’s education and health, he said a healthy society cannot be imagined without informed and empowered women, as children’s physical and mental well-being is closely linked to their mothers.
Saini further said the department’s future action plan should include measures to increase awareness among women and provide supportive infrastructure, such as working women’s hostels and creche centres in every district. During the meeting, Shekhar Vidyarthi informed that 25,962 Anganwadi centres are currently operational across Haryana.
He said Anganwadi workers and helpers regularly upload information related to women and children through online systems, and the department is preparing a proposal to strengthen their capabilities and provide them with the necessary equipment. Senior officials present at the meeting included Rajesh Khullar, Anurag Rastogi and Arun Gupta.
