Shillong, August 26: The Union Minister for Women & Child Development and Textiles, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani today visited Meghalaya and inspected the under-construction National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) located at Mawdiangdiang along with the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Shri Conrad K Sangma.
The minister during her visit acknowledged the beautiful landscape where the NIFT campus is coming up and said, “I must compliment that this is one of the most beautiful NIFT campuses in the country”. The minister informed that the Institute is likely to be inaugurated by November this year. The progress of construction of the campus has reached 98.95 per cent.
The campus spreads over an area of approximately 20.13 acres provided free of cost by the Government of Meghalaya and is located at Mawdiangdiang about 7.4 Kms from State capital Shillong, the construction of which started in 2013.
Smt Irani and the Chief Minister held a review meeting with officials of the Social Welfare Department and Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Meghalaya and took stock of the implementation of various schemes under the department of Women & Child Development. The ministers also interacted with the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts of the state who were connected through video conferencing during the review meeting.
She also reviewed the implementation of POSHAN Abhiyan and the preparation of the Poshan Month to be observed in the month of September. The government has set a target to connect 44 crore people during the month-long Abhiyan.
POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched in 2018 to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls and reduce low birth weight. The minister reiterated in the meeting that the five pillars of POSHAN Abhiyaan that is the importance of First 1000 days, detection and right treatment of Anemia and Diarrohea, Personal Hygiene and Sanitation and PaushtikAahaar with locally available nutritious foods can only be realised when there is convergence among all the departments. She urged everyone to make the upcoming Rashtriya Poshan Maah a grand success.
The Minister, while reviewing the activities of the government relating to women and child development, appreciated the Chief Minister for some of the positive steps that he and his government are undertaking district wise to strengthen the future of our country. She also said, “I am hopeful that under the dynamic leadership of the Chief Minister, on all fronts relating to Textiles, Women and Child Development Meghalaya will scale new heights”.
Later in the day, the Union Minister also laid the Foundation Stone of the Integrated Textiles Tourism Complex at Nongpoh, Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya.
During her address, Smt Irani said that the central government is committed to supplement the endeavours of the state government for development in the sector of textiles and women and child development. The complex and the activities therein have been funded by Government of India so that the art of Meghalaya prospers, she added.
The minister informed the gathering that it has been the direction of the Prime Minister to skill the people of Meghalaya, specially for a state like Meghalaya which celebrates the aptitude of 54000 artisans in the beautiful state, to ensure that those who currently undertake crafts in wood, bamboo, stone carving, embroidering, pottery, dry flower and jewellery get benefitted and aided from Government of India.
The minister also announced that under the ‘Samarth’ scheme which erstwhile plans to skill 7,200 youth in apparel and garmenting, textiles and handloom sectors has now been extended, after the request of the Chief Minister, and now Meghalaya has the historic opportunity to skill 30,000 citizens. The minister also interacted with the children and Anganwadi Workers at the Umdihar 1, Ri Bhoi district Meghalaya.
