Focus on nutrition for expectant mothers: Sirmaur DC

Sirmaur Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Verma has said that ensuring proper nutritional awareness among expectant mothers was crucial for reducing cases of low birth weight in the district. She directed all departments concerned to ensure that no eligible beneficiary under the Women and Child Development Department was not left uncovered under the ongoing schemes and called for strengthening inter-departmental coordination.

The Deputy Commissioner chaired district-level meetings of the Women and Child Development Monitoring and Review Committee, Nutrition and Convergence Committee and the Mission Shakti Umbrella Scheme Supervision Committee in Nahan. She instructed officials to constitute internal committees to address workplace sexual harassment cases, conduct regular meetings and upload related reports on the SHe-Box portal.

Officials said that Sirmaur district at present had 1,486 functional anganwari centres in six blocks. Through the special nutrition programme and supplementary nutrition programme, support was provided until September 30 to 18,427 children aged six months to three years, 9,757 children aged three to six years and 6,341 expectant and lactating women. Under pre-school education, 10,700 children had been registered in the district.

Five Model Anganwari Centres — Talo in Nahan, Kali Mitti in Sangrah, Jwalapur-2 in Paonta Sahib, Dugana-3 and Heavenabidpa — are operating with enhanced facilities and improved service delivery.

The district also utilised Rs 151,020 in September for awareness and health promotion activities under the Poshan Abhiyaan. These included two district-level events, seven project-level programmes, 63 sector-level activities and 6,170 camps and initiatives at anganwari centres.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, 944 beneficiaries have received benefits totalling Rs 56.64 lakh during the 2025-26 financial year.