THE Government has set targets to improve women and child welfare, focusing on making sure no girl drops out of the Ladli Lakshmi Yojana. In a recent review meeting of the Women and Child Development department, officials outlined measures to improve nutrition, pre-school education, skill development, and empowerment, while identifying gaps that need urgent attention.

 

Strict monitoring mechanisms have been emphasised to ensure all beneficiaries remain enrolled and receive timely benefits. Under the three-year action plan, hot cooked meals will be provided in urban Anganwadis through centralised kitchens from 2026, and workbooks and development cards will be introduced to improve pre-school education as part of Vision 2047.

 

The Ladli Lakshmi Yojana aims to benefit over 34 lakh girls, with district administrations working closely with Panchayati Raj bodies to build boundary walls at Anganwadi centres and strengthen infrastructure. The meeting highlighted successful districtlevel initiatives such as Dindori’s Rewa Project, which provides health check-ups and nutrition kits, Ashoknagar’s Hriday Abhiyan for community-supported nutrition monitoring, Neemuch’s “Hamari Anganwadi Abhiyan” for malnourished children, and Datia’s “Mera Bachcha Abhiyan,” which encourages sponsorship for under nourished children.

 

Dewas has involved private sector participation through the Kilkari Campaign. At the State and national-level, Madhya Pradesh achieved the highest approval for 704 Anganwadi buildings under the PM JANMAN Yojana, achieving the fastest construction progress in the country. Jhabua’s “Moti Aai” initiative for malnutrition reduction received the Prime Minister’s Excellence Award.

 

Going forward, officials have emphasised using IT for monitoring, ensuring timely scholarship and incentive payments, expanding skill development for women, and strengthening coordination across departments for nutrition, health, and empowerment initiatives to create a transparent, beneficiary-focused system. The review meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav.

 

Women & Child Development Minister Nirmala Bhuria, Chief Secretary Anurag Jain, Additional Chief Secretary Neeraj Mandloi, and senior departmental officers were present during the meeting.