Pune: The Maharashtra govt has approved a unique campaign titled, “My Village, Healthy Village,” designed to empower rural health services and foster disease-free, self-sufficient communities. The initiative would be implemented annually across the state from April 1 to March 31. The state cabinet has approved a budget of approximately Rs80 crore for the implementation of this campaign.The primary objective of the campaign, launched on Tuesday, is to elevate rural health standards through a multi-sectoral approach. This includes coordinating public sanitation, water supply, and social awareness programmes to promote preventive healthcare and encourage healthy lifestyle changes among villagers. Kailash Bawiskar, deputy director and information-education-communication (IEC) in-charge of health services, said, “Under this initiative, special emphasis will be placed on prevention rather than just treatment. Our goal is to reduce the incidence of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, improve maternal and child health, and enhance nutrition, sanitation, and wastewater management,” he said. Bawiskar added that a detailed government resolution (GR) outlining specific responsibilities would be issued shortly. To ensure effective implementation, a five-tier committee structure would be established at the state, division, district, taluka, and gram panchayat levels. The state-level committee would be chaired by the health minister and include additional chief secretaries, commissioners, and directors from various departments. Additionally, a state-level action committee, chaired by the principal secretary, public health department, would oversee operations. The scheme also includes a competitive element to drive performance. Bawiskar noted that a significant portion of the budget would be dedicated to cash prizes for top-performing villages. “Villages will be evaluated based on health department directives. Those scoring above 70% will be officially designated as ‘healthy villages’ and honored with mementos, certificates, and cash rewards,” he said.
