Meghalaya to launch “DREAM”

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 23, 2023

In order to materialize the Government commitment of making Meghalaya a drug free state, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed that a mission-mode program entitled DREAM or Drug Reduction Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM) will be launched to comprehensively tackle the important social challenge.

This was informed by Sangma in his budget speech in the floor of the house on Thursday.

Sangma said that the government has initiated ‘Early Childhood Development Mission’ to deal with the challenges of underweight children, stunting and wasting. He also said that interventions like providing eggs to children aged 3-6 years for two times a week and other services for cognitive development are being implemented.

Also Read | Meghalaya CM tables Rs 1,592 cr deficit budget

The Government is allocating Rs. 50 crore in 2023-24 for providing ECD interventions in all Anganwadi centres, he added.

Under the Chief Minister-CARES program, the Chief Minister said that the government has increased the pensionary benefits from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000 per year impacting about 66,000 senior citizens; 36,000 single mothers and 14,000 infirm citizens.

Also Read | Chief Minister’s Affordable Drug Centers to be launched in Meghalaya

He also said that government will deploy business correspondents to deliver these benefits at the doorstep of citizens while adding that he is allocating an amount of Rs. 104 crore for 2023-24.

Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay