The Centre will shortly launch Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahayog Yojana aimed at improving the health and nutrition status of pregnant and lactating mothers and infants. The 100 percent centrally sponsored scheme will be implemented as a pilot project in 95 districts from all states and union territories across the country. The Women and Child Development Minister, Mrs. Krishna Thirath said, under the scheme 4000 rupees will be given to every pregnant and lactating mother in three instalments at pre and post-natal stages. It will be implemented in four districts each of the bigger states, two districts each in smaller states and one each in Union Territories. The scheme for which 4500 crore rupees have been earmarked in the Eleventh Plan period will be fully funded by the Central government. Briefing media after a day long conference of the State Ministers in charge of Women and Child Development in New Delhi today, Mrs. Thirath said that the government also proposes to start another scheme called " Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent" by merging two existing schemes " Kishori Shakti Yojana", and " Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls". The objective of the scheme is to empower adolescent girls by improving their nutritional and health status and also to upgrade their home and vocational skills. 4500 crore rupees have also been earmarked for the implementation of this scheme under the Eleventh Plan period. The proposal to lanuch a national mission for the empowerment of women for a period of nine years was also discussed at the conference. The mission to be chaired by the Prime Minister will be an umbrella organisation which will also have monitoring structure to ensure effective implementation of its objective. Earlier addressing the conference, Mrs. Thirath stressed the need for effective implementation of the integrated child protection scheme which was launched recently for providing safe and secure environment for childlren in need for care and protection under juvenile justice system. She also asked the state governments to come forward to sign the MoUs with the Centre so that the scheme can be immediately implemented .