The Anganwadi centres in Chhattisgarh not just provide nutritious food to the mothers and their children. The centres are also imparting pre-school informal education across the State, officials informed.
Nutritious supplement meals are distributed to more than 24.55 lakh women and children in 43,500 Aanganwadi centres of the State operated by State Government's Women and Child Development Department, officials informed.
This includes 11,8,644 children of age group 6 months to 3 years, 8,71,306 children of age group 3-6 years, 2,26,988 pregnant women, and 2,48,707 lactating mothers.
These Aanganwadi centres provide other facilities and services like vaccination, health checkup, referral services, nutritious supplement meals, health and nutrition education.
More than 20,000 women self help groups (SHGs) are now involved in cooking snacks and hot meals at Anganwadi centres across Chhattisgarh, officials stated.
Moreover, about 1500 women SHGs are also engaged in making Ready-to-Eat food.
For ensuring nutritious food supply for women and children in Chhattisgarh, the State government has provisioned Rs 470 crore for supplementary diets in the financial 2015-16 officials informed.
Under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), about 26.62 lakh women and children are receiving supplementary diets through over 50,000 Anganwadi and Mini Anganwadi centers. Currently through 50,000 Anganwadi and Mini Anganwadi centers these supplementary foods are being distributed.
In year 2001, only 11.60 lakh beneficiaries were part of this scheme however now this number has reached 26.62 lakh, they said.
Women and Child Development Department officials informed that children of age group 3 to 6 years who are suffering from serious malnutrition are provided hot food and snacks in the Anganwadi centers.
Meals served to these children include rice, vegetables, mixed dal while the snacks like Ready-to-Eat food, soaked gram, jaggery and roasted ground nut.