By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 19: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma urged the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to grant the state an additional six months to complete the enrolment and Aadhaar linkage of all beneficiaries under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP).
The state is currently conducting an intensive campaign to ensure all eligible individuals are linked through Aadhaar-based eKYC and facial recognition technology.
In a letter addressed to Union Minister Annapurna Devi, Sangma mentioned Meghalaya’s commitment to combating malnutrition and promoting child welfare, aligning with national goals through its pioneering Early Childhood Development Mission.
Despite these efforts, Meghalaya faces a significant discrepancy in its SNP coverage.
According to Monthly Progress Report (MPR) data, the state has recorded 5,85,254 eligible beneficiaries.
However, only 4,00,572 have been registered under the POSHAN 2.0 tracker, leaving a substantial gap of 1,84,682 individuals—approximately 31.56% of eligible beneficiaries—who remain outside the system.
Sangma highlighted these exclusions as a major challenge, attributing them to multiple factors, including technological and logistical barriers.
“This is a significant portion of our intended beneficiaries who are currently left out due to a range of reasons, and we are making every possible effort to bridge this gap,” he stated in his appeal.
To tackle these discrepancies, the state government has intensified its push for Aadhaar enrolment and data integration.
Anganwadi workers, who play a crucial role in implementing the SNP, will soon receive smartphones to streamline data collection and beneficiary tracking.
The procurement process for these devices is in its final stages, ensuring better outreach and efficiency in beneficiary verification.
Sangma further urged the union ministry to allow the state to continue providing SNP benefits to all registered MPR beneficiaries until full integration with the Aadhaar-linked system is achieved.
This, he noted, would prevent thousands of vulnerable children and women from being excluded from essential nutrition support during the transition period.