Rajasthan govt to give ₹6,000 to women becoming mothers for second time

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said ₹6,000 will be given to women becoming mothers for the second time under a new government scheme.

He said the beneficiary women will get the amount directly in their bank accounts in five phases.

On the birth anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Gehlot launched Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojana through a video conference.

The scheme will not only help fight malnutrition, but will also increase awareness among the people about the importance of a mother's health and her nutrition level for proper development of children, he said in a statement.

"If a pregnant woman gets adequate nutrition, then the baby will also be born healthy," Gehlot said, adding that the scheme was announced in the state budget on March 13.

Presently, the scheme has been started in four most backward TSP districts of the state i.e. Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur and Pratapgarh, based on the rankings of Mother & Child Nutrition indicators.

Gehlot said his government will implement the scheme in the entire state, including Saharia-dominated Baran district.

The chief minister said he would write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to implement this scheme across the country.

More than 77,000 women will be benefitted from the scheme every year, he added.

There will be an annual expenditure of ₹43 crore for the scheme, according to the statement.

Woman and Child Development Minister Mamta Bhupesh said the objective of the Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojana is to improve the nutrition level of pregnant women and children up to the age of three years.