Special food-kit for malnourished children

Vijayapura, Belagavi, Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada selected for the pilot project: Minister Shashikala Jolle

With an objective of removing malnourishment among children, the Women and Child Welfare Ministry has launched a pilot project of distributing ready-to-eat special protein-rich food to children of four districts of the State.

At a programme to distribute the special food-kit to malnourished children on Wednesday, Shashikala Jolle, Minister of the Department and district in-charge, said Vijayapura, Belagavi, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada have been selected for the programme.

She said that a private company, Agro Crop, has decided to distribute food kit worth ₹1.5 crore for free to identified malnourished children of these districts. Around 1.42 lakh kits are being prepared to be distributed among the children who are either on the borderline or suffering from acute malnourishment.

“Each kit contains 30 candy-like edible objects which are prepared using nutritious materials such as cereals, pulses and jaggery. One candy should be given each day for 30 days for children on borderline, and 60 candies for acute malnourished children”, Ms. Jolle said.

The Minister directed the Child Development and Project Officers not only to educate the mothers about the kit but also in keeping record of the improvement in the child after using it for a month.

“The officials must keep track of the improvement and submit a report to the District Officer. If we find the result satisfactory, then the project would be implemented across the State”, she said.

Earlier, she informed that her ministry has decided to fill up vacant posts of anganwadi workers and assistants in the State. The process would be expedited after end of this present COVID-19 crisis.

She said that after the Union Government announcing life insurance cover of ₹50 lakh to Asha workers who are serving in preventing the spread of COVID-19 virus, the State government decided to give life cover of ₹30 lakh to anganwadi workers who are also working for the same cause.

Deputy Commissioner Y.S. Patil, SP, Anupam Agrawal, CEO Govind Reddy and officials of different department were present.