2 Aug: In a heartening example of grassroots governance in action, the Social Welfare Department’s Mission Shakti District Hub for Empowerment of Women in Jammu has successfully wrapped up a week-long awareness and enrolment drive under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). This initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Poshan Projects, reaffirms the power of community outreach in transforming lives — particularly those of women and children.
The drive spanned several key locations across the district, including Old Janipur, Bishnah, Satrayan, Arjan Kotli, Lower Shiv Nagar, and Nagrota. With strong coordination from Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and their field teams, the campaign brought crucial information on maternal health, nutrition, and financial support directly to Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), where many women already engage with early childhood services.
The PMMVY, a centrally sponsored scheme, provides a cash incentive of ₹5,000 to pregnant and lactating mothers to support their health and nutrition during and after pregnancy. Yet, lack of awareness and bureaucratic hurdles often keep the most deserving women from accessing these benefits. This is precisely where initiatives like Mission Shakti’s drive prove invaluable.
Beyond mere enrolment, the sessions helped demystify the scheme and built trust through direct interactions. Local women participated actively, asking questions and learning how to avail benefits without middlemen or misinformation. Mission Shakti officials rightly noted that outreach programs like this form the backbone of effective welfare delivery — ensuring no eligible woman is left behind.
But awareness must be sustained, not sporadic. The government would do well to scale up such initiatives, possibly integrating them with digital platforms and self-help groups to ensure continuous support and monitoring.
In regions like Jammu, where access can be uneven, taking schemes to the people — rather than waiting for them to come forward — is a winning strategy. Mission Shakti’s campaign offers a replicable model for inclusive, responsive governance that puts women’s health and dignity at the centre.
