Jharkhand Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, chaired a high-level review meeting on Tuesday to assess UNICEF’s ongoing efforts toward achieving the state’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She emphasized the importance of continuous coordination between UNICEF and various state departments to ensure streamlined and effective progress in critical social sectors.
Highlighting the parallel efforts of both UNICEF and the Government of Jharkhand in driving sustainable development, Chief Secretary Tiwari stressed the need for a robust system of regular reviews. She directed UNICEF to establish a system of continuous evaluation of its projects and maintain close coordination with government departments.
She suggested that UNICEF share its field experiences, progress, and suggestions during bi-weekly meetings with concerned departments to explore how their child-focused initiatives can better align with the government’s existing schemes. This, she said, would also enhance monitoring mechanisms and result-oriented planning.
Tiwari further instructed UNICEF to study and analyze best practices from other Indian states in the social sector and draft an implementation blueprint tailored to Jharkhand’s needs. She recommended that UNICEF share its data with the state’s Planning Department through a common portal to prevent discrepancies and enable consistent planning.
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Focus on Nutrition, Health, and Marginalized Communities
The Chief Secretary lauded UNICEF’s hand hygiene awareness initiatives and urged the organization to deepen its engagement across health, nutrition, education, and social security by partnering closely with the respective departments. She underscored the need to focus not just on nutrition but also on the sustainable development of marginalized and underrepresented communities.
Earlier in the meeting, UNICEF presented a detailed report highlighting its ongoing work and achievements related to children’s welfare in Jharkhand.
Senior Officials Attend High-Level Review
The review meeting was attended by secretaries Mast Ram Meena, Manoj Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Umashankar Singh, Neha Arora, and UNICEF Jharkhand Chief Kaninika Mitra, along with her team.
