Vedanta moots 800- cr plan to set up 4,000 Nand Ghars

Amethi: Mining major Vedanta has planned an outlay of over Rs 800 crore for setting up 4,000 'Nand Ghars' across the country over next few years, its Chairman Anil Agarwal said here on Wednesday. Nand Ghar is Vedanta's flagship programme to directly benefit 2,00,000 children and 1,80,000 women on an annual basis, the company said in a statement. Vedanta's 1,000th Nand Ghar was inaugurated here on Wednesday by Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, who represents Amethi seat in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking on the occasion, Irani said, "it is a great honour to be a part of this initiative and see the community and industry leaders come together for a noble cause that focuses on the overall wellbeing of children and women". "With Nand Ghar, a key component of holistic development has made its entry in Amethi. As we embark upon the launch of 'Poshan Maah' (Nutrition Month) in September, it is good to see that Vedanta through its CSR activities has come forward to support the government in its endeavour to enhance the development of women and children," she said.

Agarwal said the inauguration of the 1000th Nand Ghar is a key milestone for the flagship CSR programme of the company to build and refurbish Anganwadis in various states across the country. With these 1,000 Nand Ghars, the initiative is benefitting around 40,000 children and 30,000 women across India, he added. Nand Ghars are equipped with televisions for e-learning, solar panels for reliable power, safe drinking water and clean toilets. The core services provided at Nand Ghars are pre-school education to children (3-6 years) through e-learning, nutrition through pre-packed hot cooked meals to children, pregnant and lactating women, healthcare through Mobile Health Van and support to Community Health Centre, women empowerment through skill, credit linkage and entrepreneurship development, the statement said. Around 30,000 women have been covered through the women empowerment and skilling programme, leading to an average incremental income of Rs 3,500 per month, it added.