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Naidu woos women with new scheme

Shireen in Hyderabad

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu unveiled yet another scheme for women in Andhra Pradesh. Naidu announced the launching of Sukhibhava scheme under which the state government would provide Rs 300 each to one million women who go to hospitals for delivery. The scheme would come into effect from August 1. The beneficiaries would be provided Rs 200 towards transportation and Rs 100 for provision of nutritious food.

Incidentally, the chief minister made the announcement of the new scheme at the World Population Day celebrations here, just a couple of hours before the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule in New Delhi and stated that the model code of conduct for governments and political parties came into immediate effect.

Naidu said that the scheme was formulated in view of the high infant mortality rate in the state with most expectant mothers not visiting hospitals for delivery but going in for delivery at home. Only 32 percent of the expectant mothers went in for a hospital delivery due to lack of basic facilities in rural areas. Hence, the government has initiated several measures to provide medicare to all pregnant women in the coming five years, he added.

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