New Delhi | Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has called for greater use of technology, improved interdepartmental coordination and stronger grievance-redressal mechanisms to ensure that eligible pregnant and lactating women receive maternity benefits without unnecessary delays.

Speaking at a national departmental conference organised by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi, Singh outlined Manipur’s initiatives and technology-based measures for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).

The two-day conference began on October 8 and concluded on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the closing session.

PMMVY is a direct-benefit scheme that provides financial assistance to eligible pregnant and lactating women, particularly those from economically vulnerable households. It also seeks to promote the welfare of mothers and address gender-related disadvantages.

Singh said more than 4.76 crore beneficiaries across the country had received over Rs 21,800 crore directly in their bank accounts under the scheme. He identified disbursing benefits within 30 days of application as an important target, stressing that coordination between departments and frontline workers was essential to prevent avoidable delays.

Technology and accountability

The chief minister highlighted Aadhaar-based facial authentication for beneficiary verification, advance identification of potential beneficiaries through the Poshan Tracker and a three-tier grievance-redressal mechanism. He also pointed to the scheme’s search-and-track facility, which enables applicants to monitor the status of their applications and payments.

According to Singh, these measures can improve transparency, reduce inconvenience for beneficiaries and make delivery of financial assistance more efficient.

Assam’s coordination model highlighted

Sharing practices adopted by different states, Singh described Assam’s administrative coordination model as a useful example. Assam has established a dedicated team to coordinate with the Finance Department on the scheme’s day-to-day implementation.

He also cited monthly district- and scheme-level performance reports in Jharkhand, daily open-discussion sessions to resolve implementation problems in Chhattisgarh, and data-based digital documentation initiatives involving Anganwadi workers and supervisory officials in Maharashtra.

Proposes integration with health databases

Singh proposed closer integration between PMMVY’s digital platform and databases maintained by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He said sharing information on the last menstrual period, antenatal check-ups, childbirth and immunisation could reduce repeated documentation and simplify the application process.

The chief minister also advocated reviewing eligibility criteria to extend assistance to more vulnerable and disadvantaged women. He urged the ministry to translate PMMVY guidelines into regional languages and distribute them widely to improve training for Anganwadi workers and officials responsible for implementation.

The conference also discussed moving the scheme’s payment mechanism to the SNA-SPARSH system and integrating its portal with the financial management systems of states and Union Territories. Singh said stronger coordination, improved digital infrastructure, timely grievance resolution and the adoption of successful practices from other states were essential to ensuring that no eligible woman was deprived of maternity benefits.