THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, March 10: The Sampoornata 2.0 campaign, a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog, was launched in Palamu on Tuesday by Deputy Commissioner Sameera S along with district officials, including Additional Collector Kundan Kumar and Civil Surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Srivastava.
The campaign, which was initially scheduled to begin on January 28, was postponed due to urban local body elections and has now commenced from March 10. The programme will continue till April 14.
Issues raised during open session
During the open session, a Sahiya (community health worker) highlighted the issue of inter-district confusion in healthcare services at Rabda and Bakoriya villages. Although these villages fall under the Palamu district, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) from the Manika Community Health Centre in the Latehar district reportedly visit the area for services such as immunisation.
The Sahiya urged authorities to stop this arrangement. DC Sameera S assured that the matter would be examined.
Concerns over health indicators
Referring to NITI Aayog indicators, the Deputy Commissioner noted that around six per cent of babies born in Palamu have low birth weight, while the rate of stillbirths also requires attention.
Officials stressed the need for stronger monitoring of maternal and child health indicators in the district.
Focus on school infrastructure
District Superintendent of Education Sandip Kumar informed that most government schools in the district have functional toilets for girls. Out of 2,559 government schools, fewer than a dozen currently lack such facilities.
He said construction work is underway at seven schools, and the remaining institutions will be equipped with girls’ toilets by April 14.
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However, during the open discussion, several school heads — particularly from the Manatu block — pointed out the need for girls’ toilets in schools at Dumri and Birja.
DC stresses data accuracy
During the review of village health, sanitation and nutrition committee meetings, the Deputy Commissioner expressed concern over discrepancies between ground realities and official data.
She emphasised the need for accurate and reliable reporting, stating that inflated or incorrect data should be avoided.
The DC questioned how records showed regular meetings in areas where some anganwadi centres reportedly remain closed, and why different datasets presented conflicting information on basic facilities such as toilets.
She called for better coordination among departments and urged officials to ensure that only verified data reflecting actual field conditions is reported.
A brief protocol-related issue occurred during the inaugural ceremony when representatives of local MLAs and an MP objected to being seated in the second row.
The situation was resolved after additional seating arrangements were made on the stage.