The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Delay in distribution of maternity aid

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Sunday, Jun 28, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Delay in distribution of maternity aid

K. Lakshmi

Scheme to provide nutritious food
to pregnant women
Distribution of aid to 400 applicants pending

CHENNAI: Prema Saravanan of Ayappakkam Road, Ambattur, applied for the State government’s maternity assistance two years ago. Her daughter is more than a year old now but, like many others in Ambattur, she is awaiting the assistance.

Several women who had applied for funds under the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Assistance Scheme complained that there was an undue delay in distribution of the Rs.6,000 to the beneficiaries.

V. Chitra said she applied two years ago.

“My daughter is one-and-half years old. I represented to authorities concerned in the local body. But there has been poor response. Still, if they give the aid now, it would be useful for my child,” she said.

N. Sandanamari, treasurer of Penn Thozhilalargal Sangam (Ambattur Circle), said though the scheme was aimed at ensuring intake of nutritious food by pregnant women to avoid low birth weight babies, many applicants below the poverty line did not receive the amount on time.

While many had to visit the municipal health posts several times to receive the assistance, some of the beneficiaries complained that they were provided only half the amount, she said.

Many women also complained that the assistance was provided to only those who had delivered in the municipality health posts.

Some of the health post staff demanded money for issuing the free application forms or cheques to the applicants, they alleged.

Some of the municipality councillors said only a few applicants had received the assistance in the past one year. They also complained of irregularities in identifying beneficiaries.

Officials of the Ambattur Municipality said distribution of the assistance to 400 applicants was pending.

The Tiruvallur Collectorate allotted Rs.15 lakh towards the scheme for this year only last month and the funds would be distributed shortly after verification.

Though priority was given to those who delivered at the six municipal health posts, other women who sought maternity care in private hospitals were included under the scheme.

About 3,700 women in the local body have benefited from the scheme since 2006. Action would be taken against staff if they were found to have demanded money, the officials said.

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