Union minister Shobha Karandlaje reviewed the progress of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district under various indicators of the NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Programme on Tuesday.
Karandlaje, the Union minister of state for micro, small, and medium enterprises, and labour and employment convened a meeting at the Dak bungalow which was attended by local MLA Javed Hassan Beig, Deputy Commissioner (Baramulla) Minga Sherpa, officers from the two ministries, and those from the departments concerned.
Sherpa presented an overview of the district's performance under five key indicators of the Aspirational Districts Programme - health and nutrition; education; agriculture and water resources; financial inclusion and skill development; and infrastructure.
The minister was informed that the district had made remarkable progress in its delta ranking, issued by the NITI Aayog, moving from 108 to 46 out of 112 districts, achieving a composite score of 59.30 as of September.
Sherpa highlighted improvements in health and nutrition, including the upgrading of facilities and establishment of new health centres, maternal and child health care, reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates, reduction in tuberculosis cases, and effective implementation of the Poshan Abhiyaan in combating malnutrition.
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Karandlaje was informed that the education sector had witnessed wholesome progress, with a substantial increase in student enrolment, especially among girls; a significant decrease in the dropout rate, with efforts to improve the quality of education through upgrading teachers' skills and school infrastructure, and promoting digital learning using smart classrooms.
MLA Beig raised concerns related to water scarcity and other developmental challenges and sought the minister's intervention for their timely resolution.
The minister also reviewed the progress under the other key indicators.
She emphasised the critical role the programme would play in fostering inclusive economic development.
Karandlaje directed the health department officers to conduct comprehensive research to identify the underlying causes of infant and maternal mortality and implement targeted interventions to ensure further reduction in mortality rates.
She instructed the administration to plan for the implementation of food processing units through various government schemes to ensure efficient utilisation of locally-produced apples and prevent any wastage during transportation over long distances, thus boosting the local economy and benefiting farmers.
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