New Delhi [India], April 26 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a review meeting with the Department of Women and Child Development at the Delhi Secretariat on Saturday.
The meeting aimed to review the progress of schemes being implemented for the welfare of women and children in Delhi and to explore measures to enhance their effectiveness.
After the meeting, Chief Minister Gupta reaffirmed the Government's commitment to ensuring dignity for every woman and a safe, healthy, and bright future for every child. She emphasised that women's empowerment and child development form the foundation of a strong society, and the Delhi Government remains steadfast in its efforts in this direction.
Spekaing to media persons, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said, " ...To do any work or solve an issue that is a problem to the country, hindering development or worsening the city's situation, people must come together. Cleaning of Yamuna River is very important for everyone...we need to give this message to children that Yamuna is a life giver...we need everyone's participation to speed up the cleaning work of Yamuna River..."
CM Gupta directed concerned officers to regularly visit Anganwadi Centres to assess the condition of facilities at the grassroots level and undertake necessary improvements. Comprehensive renovation of Anganwadi Centres has been mandated to ensure that they are safer, cleaner, and more child-friendly, aiming to provide nurturing, safe, and educational premises for every child.
The Chief Minister further stated that the Government has also decided to establish some new Anganwadi units. The department has been instructed to look for new locations.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the functioning of One Stop Centres (OSCs) and their role in enhancing women's safety in Delhi. She directed the department to ensure the effective operation of existing OSCs and emphasised the need to expedite the establishment of eleven additional OSCs -- one in each district -- to further strengthen women's safety across the Capital.
Currently, Delhi has 187 operational Palna Centres, which provide childcare and ensure safety for children. In light of growing needs, the Delhi Chief Minister instructed the concerned officials to establish 500 New Palna Centres across Delhi. Special instructions were given to identify locations in industrial zones, markets, and construction sites for these centres. The Chief Minister stated that the objective of the Palna scheme is to provide quality creche facilities in a safe and secure environment for children, nutritional support, health and cognitive development of children, growth monitoring & immunisation. Creche facilities under Palna are provided to all mothers, irrespective of their employment status.
Highlighting the Government's commitment to strengthening women's safety and empowerment, CM Gupta announced that two new "Sakhi Niwas" (Working Women's Hostels) will soon be established in the North-West Delhi district and Shahdara. She noted that the scheme aims to promote the availability of safe and conveniently located accommodation for working women and for those women who are pursuing higher education/training, with Day care facilities for children in urban, semi-urban and even rural areas where employment opportunities for women exist.
The Chief Minister stated that the empowerment of women and children is not merely achieved through policies but through their effective and sensitive implementation. Every woman and every child is entitled to dignity and security. The dream of a 'Viksit Delhi' will be realised only when our women and children are safe, empowered, and self-reliant.