Giving a clarion call to eradicate the social ill of malnutrition among children, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said special care should be taken of the health of mothers because this was the key to make Uttar Pradesh healthy and it required participation of every citizen.
The chief minister sought to spread this message while reviewing the preparations for National Nutrition Month-2020 commencing on September 7 and speaking with parents of some of the most malnourished children through video conferencing..
It may be recalled that September is observed as National Nutrition Month and owing to the coronavirus pandemic this year, the works under this will be undertaken through digital means.
The chief minister said that “nutrition drive” was an important event inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it aimed at looking after the well-being of children and mothers.
He hoped that all the departments concerned would make a concerted effort to take Uttar Pradesh to the top in the country as far as nutrition is concerned.
“The departments of Health, Panchayati Raj and Education should converge with the Women and Child Development Department to address the problem of malnutrition. Other departments such as Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Civil Supply, AYUSH and Horticulture also have to play an important role in this because they help families to improve their economic status and availability of food grain,” he said.
The chief minister said that no such drive could be successful without public participation. He asked the official machinery to connect people’s representatives, media persons, voluntary organisations and social workers with this drive to make it a public movement.
He also asked officials to integrate Anganwadi workers, ASHA, ANMs, gram pradhans and self-help groups to create an awareness among the people about nutritional value in their children. “The sanitation workers and ODF workers should also be involved in this drive,” the chief minister said..
On this occasion, the chief minister directed officials to set up a ‘Nutri Garden’ in which the land of government schools, residential schools, anganwadi centres and gram panchayat should be given preference.
Under the ‘Nutri Garden’ concept, apart from community places, every household would be encouraged to grow fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants.