Benefit of Mamata Yojana Extended Five More Years

Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards reducing mortality rate of both mother and newborn child, the Odisha Government has relaxed the norms of the flagship Mamata Yojana in order to ensure proper healthcare of pregnant and lactating women belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) and their infants.

According to the Women and Child Development Department, the State Government will extend the benefit of the scheme to all pregnant women of PVTG for any number of live births for another five years.

The provision, which was in force since 2014, has now been further extended for another five years. And now the PVTG women are now entitled to get prescribed benefits and financial assistance even after giving birth to more than two children under the scheme.

The State Government had launched the Mamata scheme in 2011 to provide conditional cash transfer maternity benefit to pregnant and lactating woman of 19 and above age group for their first two live births.

The women are entitled to receive Rs 5,000 in two installments covering various stages of their pregnancy upon fulfilling certain conditions which are beneficial for their health and nutrition as well as their babies.

The welfare scheme has benefited more than 38.89 lakh pregnant and lactating women in the State.