Belagavi: Women and child welfare minister Laxmi Hebbalkar asked the public to contact her if there is any case of child marriage, sexual harassment, or injustice against women and children. She was speaking after inaugurating the Poshan Month programme organised jointly by the district administration, zilla panchayat, and the department of women and child development at Gandhi Bhavan here on Tuesday.“If there is any case of child marriage, sexual harassment, or injustice against women and children, contact me directly. I will stand by you. Atrocities against women and children will not be tolerated,” Hebbalkar said. The event also included the distribution of aids and equipment to differently-abled beneficiaries of the Belagavi Rural assembly constituency. The minister emphasised the need to fight against the social evil of child marriage. “If any such incident is noticed, anganwadi workers must fearlessly report it to the concerned authorities. Everyone must be committed to uprooting violence against women and children from its roots,” she said.Minister Hebbalkar said that the state govt has taken all necessary steps to curb child marriage and has announced a Rs 25,000 reward for GPs which are declared child marriage-free, she added, “Our goal is to ensure every pregnant woman gives birth to a healthy child. Not just in Belagavi, but across the state, we will organise baby showers at the GP level throughout the month,” the minister said.She also mentioned efforts at the govt level to promote anganwadi supervisors to the post of assistant child development project officer (ACDPO). A proposal has been submitted to the finance department to grant one-time service promotions to 400 workers currently serving in various roles.MLC Channaraj Hattiholi appreciated minister Hebbalkar’s revolutionary decision to introduce LKG and UKG classes in anganwadi centres. He urged anganwadi teachers and workers to actively implement departmental programmes.During the event, sewing machines, battery-operated wheelchairs, Braille kits, talking laptops, and two-wheelers were distributed to differently-abled beneficiaries. A baby shower ceremony was conducted for 50 pregnant women to mark the 50th anniversary of anganwadi centres.
