Ahmedabad, March 8 : Gujarat government's scheme Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana (MMY) has been the cornerstone of health, growth and development for the women in the western state.

The scheme -- inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 18, 2022 -- has been meticulously designed to address the issues of women in the state.

The scheme specifically targets the enhancement of nutritional intake among pregnant women and lactating mothers.

An official said that this landmark initiative is poised to significantly curb malnutrition rates in Gujarat by ensuring these mothers and their offsprings have access to essential nutrition during these pivotal early stages.

He said that the scheme is spanned across 40 districts, involving 427 components while utilising 53,037 Anganwadi centres.

The MMY has processed 298,969 approved applications out of 320,559 total applications. This extensive reach is helping Gujarat's mothers and children to overcome malnutrition.

The official said that all pregnant and lactating women registered with the Health Department's software as pregnant or as mothers of children up to 2 years are eligible for this scheme.

'They will receive 2 kg of chickpeas, 1 kg of toor dal, and one litre of groundnut oil from their local Anganwadi centre. The government has allocated a substantial budget of Rs 811 crore for the scheme's implementation, with plans to invest a total of Rs 4000 crore over the next five years,' the official said.

He said that the eligibility for the scheme encompasses first-time pregnant women and mothers with children up to two years old.

'The MMY provides a nutritional kit comprising 1 litre of groundnut oil, 1 kg of Tuver Dal, and 2 kg of Chana, aimed directly at satisfying the dietary needs of its recipients,' he said.

To ensure the MMY's benefits are easily accessible, the Gujarat government, in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), has also unveiled a dedicated portal (https://1000d.gujarat.gov.in/).

This portal allows eligible women to register and avail themselves of the scheme's offerings from the nearest Anganwadi centre, marking a significant leap towards excellent governance standards.

'Projected outcomes from the MMY are comprehensive. They aim not only to enhance the nutritional health of mothers and their children but also to decrease the occurrence of preterm births and low birth weight infants,' the official said.

He said that the initiative seeks to lower the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), representing a critical advancement in Gujarat's battle against malnutrition and improving public health.

Earlier, the Gujarat government took serious note of the NITI Aayog and the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) reports of 2023 which highlighted the malnutrition issues among the women in Gujarat.

Thereafter, the state government took effective steps to address the malnutrition issues among the women in the state.

/IANS