Let me count the ways I can spend thee ...

A highlight from a meeting today between Punjab State Commission for Women and officers from the Health & Family Welfare Department was a tabling of the following observation:

• Towards correcting the adverse sex ratio in Punjab, Health and Family Welfare Department utilized only 12.7 per cent of the funds provided under the National Rural Health Mission. This was during the year 2007-08.
• The following year, 2008-09, only 33.9 per cent NHRM funds were utilized.

Funds are available. The purpose for which the funds are available is important and urgent. Somebody better start spending that money soon. And should the department need suggestions on how to utilize the money, let me count the ways …