As many as 3,70,456 women from Andhra Pradesh were provided maternity benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) last year (2020), Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani informed the Rajya Sabha, in reply to a question raised by MP Parimal Nathwani.
The Minister informed the House that the objective of the scheme was to provide partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentive so that women can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first child and also to provide cash incentive to improve health-seeking behaviour amongst the pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Mr. Nathwani wanted to know the total number of women beneficiaries under the scheme in the country in 2020 and the measures taken for the welfare of working women.
The minister also spoke about the amendment carried out in the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 in 2017. The key amendments include increased paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks; extension of 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to ‘commissioning/adopting mothers’, mandatory provision for crèche in respect of establishments having 50 or more employees, including four visits a day to the crèche by the woman and mandatory intimation, in writing and electronic form, to every woman at the time of her initial appointment, conveying benefits under the Act.
