Number of malnourished children in Chhattisgarh declines by 13.79 pc

Chhattisgarh government launched the 'Mukhyamantri Suposhan Yojana' on October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, in a bid to eradicate malnutrition among children and women, State Women and Child Development Minister Anila Bhediya, said in a statement here.

She said with the integrated planning, great administration and coordinated efforts, the state government has been able to achieve great success in eliminating malnutrition among children.

According to the data obtained from the 'Vazan Tihar' held in 2019, 9.7 lakh children were malnourished in the state, out of which 67.89 thousand children have become free from malnutrition, as in March, 2020, added the Minister.

She said in this way, the number of malnourished children has decreased by 13.79 per cent, which is a major victory in the battle against malnutrition.

According to the National Family Survey, 4, 37.7 per cent children under the age of five years were suffering from malnutrition and 47 per cent women aged 15-49 years were suffering from Anaemia, Bhediya noted.

She said, ''As per the data, 9.7 lakh children were malnourished in the state. Most of these were tribal and children from remote forest areas,'' adding that the state government took it as a challenge and started the Chief Minister's Suposhan Abhiyan.

Under this campaign, local free nutritious food and hot-cooked food was being distributed to the malnourished women and children, in addition to the distribution of supplementary nutritious food to the identified children in the Anganwadi centre, Bhediya said.

She further said the scheme was started as a pilot project in some gram panchayats of forest cover regions, including Naxal-affected Bastar in the state.

With the inspiring results of the scheme, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel implemented the campaign throughout the state, she added.

All Anganwadi and Mini Anganwadi centres have been closed for prevention and control of infection of COVID-19.

She said in such a situation, to maintain the nutrition-level of children and women, the Chief Minister ensured distribution of ready-to-eat nutritious food to about 29 lakh beneficiaries of 51,455 Anganwadi centres in the state with the help of Anganwadi workers.

Under this campaign, additional nutrients are provided along with the warm food in the diet by adding delicious meals prepared out of eggs, laddus, chickpea, jaggery, sprouted grains, milk, fruits, peanuts and jaggery, chikki, soya bean, oatmeal, soya chikki and munga bhaji, added the Minister.

She said in addition to the supplementary nutritious food provided to the identified children in the Anganwadi centre, free and warm nutritious food has been provided locally to the malnourished women and children.

Anaemia-affected people are being provided with iron, folic acid and anti-helminth tablets. Under the Mukhyamantri Suposhan Yojana, arrangements have been made to distribute dry rations in place of cooked food to the beneficiaries. The target of the scheme is to make Chhattisgarh malnutrition-free in three years, she added.