Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh took the stage at a two-day national summit in New Delhi this week. He pushed for sharper technology to handle maternity benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. The event wrapped up Friday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the final session.
The scheme pays cash to pregnant and lactating mothers. It targets the vulnerable. Singh noted that the program has already sent over Rs 21,800 crore to more than 4.76 crore mothers nationwide. He wants those payments processed within 30 days of application. Coordination is key. He demanded better teamwork between field workers and departments to cut delays.
Tech is the solution. Singh backed Aadhaar-based facial recognition to verify users. He pointed to the Poshan Tracker to help Anganwadi workers find eligible women. He also praised a search feature that lets mothers track their own status. Singh said these steps create accountability. "These initiatives underline the importance of administrative coordination, regular monitoring, prompt grievance resolution and accurate databases in improving programme delivery," he said.
States shared their own hacks at the summit. Assam uses a dedicated team to talk with the Finance Department. Jharkhand prints monthly performance bulletins. Chhattisgarh holds daily open-house sessions to fix problems. Maharashtra maps workers and officers in a digital database. Singh wants this integration to go further. He urged the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to link systems to skip repetitive paperwork for mothers.
The summit covered the move to the SNA-SPARSH payment mechanism. Officials also discussed syncing portals with financial systems. Singh reminded states to translate the official PMMVY toolkit into regional languages. He wants these guides in the hands of every frontline worker to ensure the program hits full coverage.
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