Rajasthan Women and Child Development Minister Bina Kak launched the “Sabala Yojana” here on Monday for empowerment of out-of-school adolescent girls through supplementary nutrition and life skills training at anganwadi centres, ensuring their mental and physical growth, and enabling them to become self-sufficient.
Addressing the inaugural function at Jawahar Kala Kendra here, Ms. Kak said about eight lakh girls in the age group of 11 to 18 years would benefit from the scheme, to be implemented in 10 districts of the State with the Central assistance. The scheme would also encourage teenage girls to join regular schools.
The Minister released the adolescent girls’ kits, to be distributed to sathins (workers) at anganwadi centres, as well as brochures for the scheme. She asked the officers of her department to devise vocational training programmes, which the girls would find useful for gainful employment in future.
“Women are making a significant contribution to the nation’s development today. There is no need [for them] to depend on others. They should strive hard to achieve success in their lives on their own,” said Ms. Kak.
State Women and Child Development Secretary Sarita Singh said the anganwadi centres would provide supplementary nutrition to adolescent girls for 300 days a year under the scheme. The girls would also get the benefit of anaemia-control therapy, health check-ups, counselling for nutrition, personal-hygiene management and skill development training.
The scheme will be implemented in Sri Ganganagar, Udaipur, Jaipur, Banswara, Jhalawar, Bikaner, Barmer, Dungarpur, Bhilwara and Jodhpur districts. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) would also assist the State government in the implementation of the scheme.