Raipur, 28, May 2021. The district which was once identified due to malnutrition, unemployment, illiteracy and fear of Naxalites, has changed its picture in just two and a half years. New winds of development and trust are flowing in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. The dark clouds of fear are coming off, and the rays of peace are reaching far-flung areas.
Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel has placed the development of Sukma district at the top of his list of priorities, that is why this district is being developed with a new vision for the last two and a half years. The strategy of development of the district was redesigned by assessing the aspirations of the local people, their needs, problems and challenges, in which participation of the local people has been ensured. Now the villagers live happy, healthy and educated lives in the villages here. In the district where the rate of malnutrition has decreased in the last two and a half years, there has been an increase in the level of education and improvement in health facilities.
Schools open again, education reaching village after village
Due to the re-operation of closed schools in the district, the children of internal villages are getting an opportunity to get education near the home village. In the year 2006, the impact of the Salwa Judum movement was more in the villages of Konta region of the district. Before the year 2006, 275 primary and 66 secondary schools were operated under the development block, but in the year 2006, many schools were damaged by the Naxalites. As a result, 102 primary and 21 secondary schools had to be closed or shifted to operate. Operation of these closed schools was resumed in the year 2018-19 under the initiative of Sukma, the government and district administration. Presently 92 such schools are being re-operated, in which 4 thousand 172 students are studying. Along with this, the local 12th passed youths of the concerned Panchayat have been appointed as educators in schools on the basis of the proposal of the Panchayat. Initially, huts were built at the local level to run the schools. Presently, buildings are being constructed at the government and administration level by giving approval for construction of 60 school buildings and 34 additional rooms. Construction of 22 of these buildings has been completed and the remaining buildings will also be completed soon. In schools, students are getting the benefit of various schemes run by the government, such as mid-day meal, free text-books, uniforms, etc.
Children’s health was improved due to nutrition campaign
The Chhattisgarh Government has started the Chief Minister’s Suktishan Abhiyan from the year 2019, under which the Swarna Sukma Program is being run by the District Administration Sukma and the Department of Women and Child Development with a view to bring the children of the district out of malnutrition. The malnutrition rate in the district was 45 percent in the weight festival of 2019, due to this program the rate of malnutrition has come down by 9 percent in the last two years alone. Along with the hot and nutritious food being supplied in Anganwadi centers, the health of children and women is also periodically checked. In the last two years, 36 new Anganwadi centers have been operated in the interior areas of the district. At the same time, construction work of 178 new buildings including 55 Angbari buildings of internal areas has been completed. At present, a total of 963 Anganwadi centers are operated in the district, of which 665 centers are being operated in Anganwadi buildings and 200 Anganwadi centers are under construction.
Health facilities improved
With the expansion of health facilities in Sukma district over time, people are now getting better health facilities, which has reduced the dependence of the people of the district on other border states. In the last two years, 21 ANMs and 13 male health workers have been recruited in the sub-health centers under the Konta development block. In the year 2018, only 1303 Mitanins were serving, whereas today, through a total of 1446 Mitanins, health facilities are effectively reaching inaccessible areas of the district. Success has also been achieved in the district in terms of institutional deliveries. In the year 2018, where 70.3 percent deliveries were done in hospitals and medical centers, this figure has increased to 91.6 percent in 2020-21. In sensitive areas such as Golapalli, 89.2 percent, Jagrgunda has 113.3 percent refrigerated, Chintagufa 122.5 percent and Chintalnar 146.7 percent institutional deliveries. To provide immediate health facilities to pregnant mothers and to ensure institutional deliveries, 5 bedded 19 pre-birth waiting centers have been set up. In the last two and a half years, the construction work of 10 new sub-health centers and 1 primary health center in the district has been completed and 2 primary health centers are under construction. At present, there are 13 primary health centers and 89 sub-health centers in the district, due to which, in the short term, better health facilities are being made available to the residents of the outlying areas. Minor health problems of the villagers are diagnosed at the nearest health center.
Effective control over malaria outbreaks has been achieved in the district. In 2018, where 11 thousand 698 people were found to be infected with malaria, now this figure has been reduced to only 1612. In today’s situation, the positive rate has come down from 17 percent to only 8.9 percent.
