CSR Partnership to Give New Momentum to Nutrition and Child Development Programs
The Women and Child Development Department has taken a significant initiative to give new momentum to nutrition, child development, and women empowerment programs in the state through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For this purpose, a state-level meeting was organized today at the Circuit House in Civil Lines with representatives from the department and various industrial organizations, where a long-term cooperation strategy for the effective implementation of departmental schemes was discussed in detail.
Presiding over the meeting, Principal Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, Mrs. Shahla Nigar, said that the overall development of women and children is among the top priorities of the state government. The social participation of industries is extremely important in making the schemes run by the government more effective. She said that CSR cooperation will provide new energy to nutrition, early childhood care, women empowerment, strengthening of Anganwadi centers, and innovation-based activities. She called upon industries to develop long-term partnerships with the department, stating, "With everyone's cooperation, we will build a golden Chhattisgarh."
Director of the Women and Child Development Department, Dr. Renuka Shrivastava, said that the department is continuously working on three major dimensions—women empowerment, child protection, and child health and nutrition. She informed that through CSR cooperation, development of basic facilities in Anganwadi centers, quality educational material, digital resources, nutrition enhancement, clean drinking water, sports equipment, sanitation facilities, and expansion of innovation-based activities can be achieved.
A detailed presentation of potential CSR projects prepared by the department was also given in the meeting. This prioritized topics such as malnutrition eradication, upgradation of Anganwadi centers, nutrition gardens and drumstick sapling plantation, early childhood development activities, disability-friendly facilities, adolescent girls' health and nutrition programs, and capacity building.
During the meeting, representatives of industries expressed interest in the department's proposals and shared their suggestions on the possibilities of cooperation in various schemes. It was decided that a regular coordination will be established between the department and industries to identify priority areas, and CSR projects will be implemented in a phased manner.
Special emphasis was placed in the meeting that CSR cooperation will not be limited to infrastructure development, but will also promote the overall development of children, quality early education, nutrition, digital empowerment, innovation, and community participation. The department will develop an effective system for regular dialogue, coordination, and review with industries for this purpose.
It is noteworthy that the "Pankhudi" portal has been developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, to promote CSR cooperation. The state government is operating the "SAR" (State CSR) portal, through which better coordination is being established between departmental priorities and CSR projects.