Tripura’s Child Care Institute model can be replicated across India: Union Minister
Agartala, June 29 (IANS) Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on Monday lauded Tripura’s model of Child Care Institutes (CCIs), saying it could serve as a template for other states to emulate, while asserting that the northeastern state is emerging as a model in the implementation of various Central welfare schemes.
Addressing the media on the second day of her three-day visit to Tripura, the Union Minister said that the present state government is transforming Tripura into a model state through the effective implementation of various Centrally-sponsored schemes.
She said that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, the Central government has accorded the highest priority to the welfare of youth, women, farmers and senior citizens.
“The Prime Minister has consistently emphasised that the benefits of every government scheme must reach the last person in society,” she said.
Earlier in the day, the Union Minister visited a Saksham Anganwadi Centre, a Child Care Institution (CCI) and the newly constructed Working Women Hostel at Abhoynagar on the outskirts of Agartala. She interacted with children at the Anganwadi Centre and the Child Care Institution, reviewed the available facilities and planted a sapling on the institution’s premises. She also handed over a cheque of Rs 50,000 to a beneficiary of the Saksham Anganwadi Centre under the Mukhyamantri Balika Samriddhi Yojana.
Annapurna Devi said that the environment created in Tripura for the safety, care, education and holistic development of children was exemplary and deserved to be replicated by other states. She said she would raise the matter at the Central level to encourage wider adoption of Tripura’s child care model.
The Union Minister also reviewed various schemes and projects being implemented by the state’s Social Welfare and Social Education Department. Tripura Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy and senior officials from the Central and state governments attended the review meeting.
She said that Prime Minister Modi is working towards the vision of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” and appreciated Tripura for effectively implementing Central welfare schemes, adding that the state’s best practices would be shared with other states.
The Minister reiterated that the Centre is committed to achieving the vision of a Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage-Free India). She informed that an officer has been deputed in every Gram Panchayat to monitor child marriage-related issues. She also noted that an increasing number of young girls are coming forward to report child marriage cases, describing it as an encouraging sign of growing awareness.
Annapurna Devi said that the northeastern states had remained largely isolated from the country’s mainland for decades and witnessed only limited development. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past 12 years, road, rail and air connectivity across the region has improved significantly, she said.
She further said that the Prime Minister has directed Union Ministers to regularly visit the northeastern states to monitor the effective implementation of development projects and welfare schemes.
Highlighting the achievements of the “double-engine government”, the Union Minister said that the people of Tripura are experiencing the benefits of coordinated governance by the Centre and the state. She observed that Anganwadi Centres and One Stop Centres in Tripura are functioning with sensitivity and commitment towards the welfare of beneficiaries.
The Union Minister said that, in line with the vision of building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is continuously strengthening the country’s child welfare system. She said that the government’s focus extends beyond education to include skill development, which is essential for empowering children and young people.
During her visit, Annapurna Devi stressed the need to further improve the implementation of various government welfare schemes aimed at the well-being of women and children.
Describing child marriage and drug abuse as serious social evils, she said the country must overcome these challenges to achieve inclusive development. She emphasised the need to intensify awareness campaigns to prevent child marriage and substance abuse across communities.
The Union Minister said the Central government has launched an initiative to develop child-marriage-free villages across the country as part of its efforts to eliminate the social menace.
She further said that the true success of government policies and welfare schemes lies in ensuring that their benefits reach the intended beneficiaries.
“Only when these opportunities reach the people for whom they are meant will the state and the nation move forward. That alone will help realise the vision of a Viksit Bharat, Samruddh Bharat and Shreshtha Bharat,” she said.
Annapurna Devi also informed that the construction of 10 Working Women Hostels is currently underway in Tripura with financial assistance from the Central government.
Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development Ajit Kumar, and Special Secretary of the Social Welfare and Social Education Department Tapan Kumar Das accompanied the Union Minister during her visit.
Earlier, the Union Minister offered prayers at the revered Mata Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur, Gomati district, before visiting the One Stop Centre there, where she reviewed the facilities and interacted with officials.
–IANS
sc/dan
