BELAGAVI: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa launched the Amrith Health Infrastructure Upgradation Programme at the Survarna Vidhana Soudha on Monday. The main aim of the scheme is to provide better health facilities to the rural population.
This scheme is part of the 14 Amrith programmes launched by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to mark 75 years of India’s independence. “The cooperation of all departments is essential for the success of this project,” Eshwarappa said.
He pointed out that such a scheme is being implemented for the first time in the country in partnership with the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT), RDPR and the Health and Family Welfare departments. The programme will be implemented in 2,816 gram panchayats spread across 110 taluks in 14 districts — Bagalkot, Ballari, Vijayanagar, Belagavi, Gadag, Chamarajanagar, Davanagere, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Mandya, Mysuru, Raichur, Vijayapura and Yadgir districts. A health kit worth Rs 25,000 will be provided to each gram panchayat, he added.
Gram panchayats play an important role in ridding the state of Covid-19 and tuberculosis, the minister said. The health, police and other departments and ASHA and anganwadi workers have worked diligently during the pandemic. “Initially, people were confused about taking the Covid-19 vaccine. India, however, is now successful in vaccinating its population,” he said. On rural jobs, Eshwarappa said that Karnataka tops the chart in providing employment under MGNREGA scheme. He said that the government aims to provide tap water to every household under the Jal Jeevan Mission in the next two years.
‘Sahita’ helpline
The government has set up ‘Sahita’ counselling centres for women in distress in Bangaluru, Mysuru and Dharwad districts. This helpline will also help families who have lost a member to Covid-19. He
also inaugurated a two-day workshop for chief executive officers of zilla panchayats on the occasion.