Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Saryu Roy on Friday launched the distribution of double fortified salt through Public Distribution System (PDS) stores in a function here at the Project Building Secretariat on Friday. The move is aimed at providing all nutritional needs of families in the State, where almost every second child of less than 8 years of age has been suffering from one kind of malnutrition or the other.
“The move of distributing double fortified salt was expected to be launched in October this year itself. However, a couple of back stage issues including procurement related one caused a delay in entire process. The distribution, launched statewide will benefit over 58.4 lakh families in the State now onwards,” said Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Secretary Vinay Choubey on Friday. He said that the programme was initially launched for three years, which would be further extended as per requirement.
Under double fortification, Iron has been added as a nourishing component in salt, which already contains added Iodine. The department will provide one kilogram of double fortified salt at the rate of one rupee per kilo to every household. Choubey said that the department was following instructions and standards set by National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) as far as quantity of Iron in double fortified salt was concerned.
“Iron deficiency is one of the most prominent faces of malnutrition in Jharkhand. Ironically, drinking ground water in the State contains excessive iron, which is harmful. And iron in food items remains missing due to many reasons. We are trying to combat iron deficiency for pregnant ladies to children up to age of 10, so that the State finds it in a better position in terms of malnutrition eradication,” said Choubey.
Malnutrition has remained a jugular vein for food and health departments, as it hits productivity of the State both directly and indirectly. Chief Minister Raghubar Das had expressed similar views while launching Nutrition Mission Jharkhand (NMJ) last year, and had set a 10-year deadline to eradicate malnutrition in the state.
Under the mission, the government has started serving protein rich meals for children getting benefited from Mid Day Meal (MDM) at Anganwadi centres across the state.
Iron deficiency has also remained a major factor for stunting among children in the State. Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu has at several occasions counted malnutrition a major hurdle in the development of the State.