Mission Directorate ICDS J&K organized a walkathon to create mass awareness among the people regarding the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) through “Matru Vandana Saptah” which is celebrated every year with the objective to intensify implementation of the Scheme.The Mission Director, ICDS J&K Shabnam Shah Kamili lead the Walkathon which started from the Head Office of the department at Rail Head Complex Jammu and it covered a distance of approximately 2 km passing through the Green Belt Park, Gandhi Nagar and culminated back in the Mission Directorate Office.This year the theme of Matru Vandana Saptah is “Towards building a healthy nation- Surakshit Janani, Viksit Dharini”. Matru Vandana Saptah 2019 is being celebrated from 2nd to 8th December under which many programmes are being organized including awareness camps, prabhat pheris, marathons, walkathons, door to door campaign and meetings with the stakeholders.The objective behind organizing such programmes is to create mass awareness among the people regarding the benefits of the scheme under which partial compensation of Rs. 5000/- in three instalments of Rs. 1000, 2000 and 2000 are provided to all eligible pregnant and lactating mothers who have their pregnancy on or after 01-01-2017 for the first child in the family.Among others senior officers of the department along with supervisors, anganwadi workers, helpers and other staff members participated enthusiastically in the walkathon.