Maharashtra govt, Tata Trusts collaborate for community development

State seeks to improve nutrition, governance, data management, healthcare, education and literacy initiatives

Tata Trusts and Maharashtra government today signed multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to work together to improve community developmental indicators for the state.

Through the partnership, the government expects to achieve convergence and improve efficiencies across many of its governance, data management, healthcare and nutrition, literacy and welfare initiatives and programmes.

Tata Trusts will help the government to set up these initiatives and provide strategic and technical advisory support and oversee its execution.

MoUs were signed in the presence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Tata Trusts chairman Ratan Tata at Vidahn Bhavan.

Tata, who watched the proceedings of the state assembly for some time, later told reporters, "We are pleased to partner with the government of Maharashtra to realise our common vision and endevour of community development and wellbeing that can only be achieved through focused, innovative and relevant on ground interventions that would make a real difference to the people."

Fadnavis said, "We should leverage our strength to promote more fruitful cooperation in key areas such as nutrition, governance, data management, healthcare, education and literacy to reinforce welfare initiatives and programmes.''

Under the aegis of public health department and directorate of medical education and research, a strategic healthcare advisory unit will be set up to implement technology backed interventions that improve health and nutrition outcomes which may also include developing hospital information systems and a medical supply cooperation.

Further, Tata Trusts and food civil supplies and consumer protection department will focus on arresting malnutrition related indicators through fortification of staple foods which is expected to strengthen the public distribution system.

The state planning department and Tata Trusts will design and implement a model data platform to bring together information related to select indicators and flagship schemes and analyse digital data across several departments.

This apart, the state home department and Tata Trusts with support from other civil society partners, will implement a pilot demonstration of social work interventions in select central prisons of Maharashtra. The pilot demonstration will include provision of legal aid, health and mental health services and opportunities for training and skill upgradation within prison system itself.
 

As far as digital literacy in rural Maharashtra is concerned, the government undertakings with Tata Trusts will provide training and enabling access to internet as part of the ''Internet Saathi initiative'' developed jointly with Google.

Besides, the government and Tata Trusts will partner towards strengthening the State Institute of English (SIE) in Aurangabad to become a centre of excellence with the support of the British Council as the knowledge and training partner.