Mysuru”  Under-nutrition continues to adversely affect majority of women in India. In India, every third woman is undernourished and every second woman is anaemic.

An undernourished mother almost inevitably gives birth to a low birth weight baby. When poor nutrition starts in uterus, it extends throughout the life cycle since the changes are largely irreversible. Owing to economic and social distress many women continue to work to earn a living for their family right up to the last days of their pregnancy.

To rescue mothers from under-nutrition, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has been launched. It is a Maternity Benefit Programme that is implemented in all the districts of the country in accordance with the provision of National Food Security Act, 2013.

The objective of the scheme is to provide partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentive so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the child.

Benefits: Cash incentive of Rs. 5,000 in three instalments, that is, first instalment of Rs. 1,000 on early registration of pregnancy at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) / approved Health facility as may be identified by the respective administering State / UT, second instalment of Rs. 2,000 after six months of pregnancy on receiving at least one ante-natal check-up (ANC) and third instalment of Rs.2,000 after child birth is registered and the child has received the first cycle of BCG, OPV, DPT and Hepatitis-B, or its equivalent/ substitute. Cash will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of women. All women who have APL and BPL cards are eligible under the scheme, except those women who are government servants. The facility is available for only one child.

Women can visit the nearest Anganwadi centre and submit the relevant documents. Or they can contact Women and Child Welfare Department on Ph: 0821-2495432 or 2498031.