Amethi – Mining to metals conglomerate Vedanta Ltd on Wednesday (28 Aug) opened its 1000th anganwadi in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, a company release said.
The anganwadi or Nand Ghar was inaugurated by Minister for Women and Child Development & Textiles Smriti Irani is a key milestone in Vedanta’s efforts to to build and refurbish anganwadis in various states across the country.
These Nand Ghars have been benefitting around 40,000 children and 30,000 women across the country. They are equipped with televisions, solar panels, safe drinking water and clean toilets.
The company has planned an outlay of over Rs 800 crore for setting up 4,000 Nand Ghars across the country over the next few years. Overall, 4 million people are likely to directly benefit annually.
There are currently 14 lakh Anganwadis in the country.
“It is a great honour to be a part of this initiative and see the community and industry leaders come together for a noble cause that focuses on the overall well being of children and women,” Irani said.
“As we embark upon the launch of Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month) in September, it is good to see that Vedanta through its CSR activities has come forward to support the government in its endeavor to enhance the development of women and children,” the minister said.
The Nand Ghars are equipped with televisions for e-learning, solar panels for reliable power, safe drinking water, clean toilets and have emerged as an ideal model for replication in other parts of the country.
“We have always believed in actively being a part of the growth and future of the nation with a focus on development of the women and children of our country. The completion of the 1000th Nand Ghar gives us immense pride,” Anil Agarwal, Founder and Chairman, Vedanta Group, said,
“We reiterate our commitment towards partnering with the Government for creating 4,000 Nand Ghars and changing the anganwadi landscape across India that would impact more than 8.5 crore children and 2 crore women,” Agarwal said.
Nand Ghars provides pre-school education to children between 3 and 6 years.
Among other things, the Nand Ghars provide pre-packed hot cooked meals to children, pregnant and lactating women; healthcare through Mobile Health Van and Community Health Centre; women empowerment through skill, credit linkage and entrepreneurship development.
Around 30,000 women have been covered through the women empowerment and skilling program, leading to an average incremental income of Rs 3,500 per month, the release said.
