Arunachal Reviews Child Protection, Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition at State-Level Chintan Shivir
The Itanagar Chintan Shivir brought together senior officials and stakeholders to address implementation challenges, strengthen child protection mechanisms and improve nutrition and welfare services across Arunachal Pradesh.
ITANAGAR- The Arunachal Pradesh government has called for stronger coordination among departments to improve the implementation of welfare schemes for women and children, with Home Minister Mama Natung emphasising effective governance and service delivery at a state-level Chintan Shivir in Itanagar on Wednesday.
Organised by the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) at the Dorjee Khandu Convention Centre, the programme brought together senior government officials and stakeholders to review ongoing initiatives, discuss implementation challenges and identify measures to strengthen child protection, women’s empowerment and nutrition services.
Natung attended the programme as the chief guest, while Women and Child Development Minister Dasanglu Pul was the guest of honour.
Also Read- KVK Anjaw Trains 28 SHG Women in Oyster Mushroom Cultivation at Hawai
Mama Natung Calls for Better Coordination
Addressing the gathering, Natung said that “minimum government and maximum governance” should guide good governance, stressing that the ultimate objective of all government departments was public welfare.
He highlighted the government’s four-part governance approach of Debate, Discussion, Decision and Delivery, and said effective communication, coordination and cooperation among departments were essential for successful implementation of welfare schemes.
He also appreciated the WCD Department for organising the Chintan Shivir to promote convergence among departments and strengthen the delivery of services to beneficiaries.
Dasanglu Pul highlighted the importance of translating welfare initiatives into tangible benefits at the grassroots level. She said women and children were at the centre of the department’s programmes and stressed the need for effective implementation of schemes intended to support their welfare and empowerment.
Also Read- Pema Khandu Inaugurates Donyi Polo Multipurpose Hall at Galo Heritage Centre
State Poshan Awards Recognise Performance
A key highlight of the programme was the presentation of State Poshan Awards across six categories to recognise performance and innovative initiatives in nutrition and child development.
R.T. Deru, Deputy Director (ICDS), Bomdila, received the award for Best Performing Deputy Director (ICDS), while Dhondup Pema, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Tawang, was recognised as the Best Performing Child Development Project Officer.
D.K. Thungon, CDPO, Kalaktang, received the award for Best Innovative District/Project for the Poshan Connect Nutrition Exchange Programme.
Awards were also presented to the Best Supervisor/Gram Sevika, three Best Performing Anganwadi Workers and three Best Performing Anganwadi Helpers for their contributions to nutrition and child welfare initiatives.
Also Read- Farmers in Upper Subansiri to Get Unique Digital IDs Under AgriStack Initiative
Focus on Child Protection and Women’s Safety
Director of WCD C. Tangjang outlined key challenges faced by the department at the grassroots level, highlighting the need to address operational gaps and strengthen service delivery mechanisms.
A major session focused on “Convergence and Coordination for Better Child Protection in the State of Arunachal Pradesh.” It was delivered by Dr. Sanghamitra Barik, Additional Director of the Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development, New Delhi.
The session examined the importance of interdepartmental coordination and stronger institutional mechanisms for protecting children and improving access to welfare services.
Discussions also covered Mission Vatsalya, which focuses on child protection and welfare, and Mission Shakti, which supports women’s safety, security and empowerment.
Nutrition and Anganwadi Services Under Review
Sessions on Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 examined approaches to strengthening Anganwadi services, improving nutritional outcomes and enhancing the delivery of essential services at the community level.
Participants discussed implementation strategies, existing challenges and possible improvements to programme outcomes.
The discussions highlighted the importance of coordinated action among departments and frontline workers to ensure that welfare schemes reach intended beneficiaries effectively.
Towards More Effective Welfare Delivery
The Chintan Shivir provided a platform for government departments and stakeholders to exchange experiences, review progress and deliberate on future strategies for women and child welfare in the state.
Among those attending were the Commissioner (Home), Commissioner (Health), Director (Skill Development and Entrepreneurship), Joint Director (Elementary Education), Superintendent of Police (Crime), Member Secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority, Commissioner (WCD) and other senior officials.
The programme concluded with an emphasis on strengthening convergence, addressing implementation gaps and improving accountability so that initiatives related to child protection, women’s empowerment and nutrition deliver more effective outcomes across Arunachal Pradesh.
