The Chhattisgarh Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department has released more than 82,000 quintals of rice for mid-day meals in schools for the current month. The rice would be supplied to different districts through the Public Distribution System in all 27 districts. For primary schools, 43,264 quintals and for middle schools 39,385 quintal rice has been allocated.
Meanwhile, it may be recalled that with a strong belief on their competence, the Chhattisgarh Government has entrusted women self-help groups (SHGs) of the State with the 100 per cent responsibility of preparing and distributing ready-to-eat food, hot-cooked meal and breakfast to Anganwadi centres, officials stated.
Nearly 1,568 women self-help groups are conducting the work of ready-to-eat food preparation and distribution.likewise, distribution of snacks and hot-cooked meal is looked after by 22,226 women self-help groups of State.
In Anganbadi centres, children of age-group 6 months to three years as well as pregnant and lactating mothers are provided ready-to-eat food, murra laddoos and double fortified salt through take-home-ration system.
Moreover, the children of age group 3-6 years are provided breakfast and hot-cooked meal as per the decided menu. The amount for medicine kit distributed at Anganwadi centre has also been increased from Rs600 to Rs1,000. For all round development of teenage girls, Sabla Yojana is conducted in 10 districts of state while in other districts, Kishori Shakti Yojana is operated.
‘The Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh’ is operated in State to provide financial aid to women for self-employment activities. Under the scheme, women self-help groups are at first provided loan of upto Rs50,000 at nominal annual interest of 3 per cent, and then loan of upto Rs2 lakh is provided to them.
Till date, more than 25,000 women self help groups have taken loans worth Rs41.60 crore for business activities. likewise, with the help of saksham yojana, more than 800 women have become financially self-dependent. Moreover, schemes like Swavlamban Yojana, Skill Improvement Training Scheme and Entreprenuer Awareness Programme are also operated to provide financial aid and skill improvement assistance to women.