Cash Assistance to Pregnant and Lactating Women

Cash Assistance to Pregnant and Lactating Women

The Government of India in the Ministry of Women & Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely, Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), Conditional Maternity Benefit (CMB) for pregnant and lactating (P & L) women to improve their health & nutrition status to better enabling environment by providing cash incentives to pregnant and nursing mothers. It is being implemented using the platform of ICDS.

The scheme was introduced in October, 2010 on pilot basis now operational in 53 selected districts. The scheme attempts to partly compensate for wage loss to Pregnant & Lactating women both prior to and after delivery of the child. The scheme envisages providing cash directly to the beneficiary through their Bank Accounts/Post Office Accounts, in response to individual fulfilling specific conditions. The scheme covers all pregnant and lactating women above 19 years of age and above for first two live births except Government/PSUs (Central & State).

The Government is conducting an independent evaluation of the scheme in the current financial year 2012-13 to assess the performance of the scheme in the States/UTs. The steps to extend the scheme in all the districts throughout the country will be undertaken on the basis of the results of the evaluation.

This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.

PIB