An estimated 35,000 women have been benefited in the districts of Dhamtari, Bastar and Kondagaon under the Motherhood Assistance Scheme during 2014-15.
Since the inception of the scheme, more than 60,000 women have been benefitted.
Women and Child Development Department officials informed that the scheme was launched for improvement in health and nutritional requirement for expectant mothers and those with new borns in 2010-11, officials stated.
Under the scheme, a total of Rs 6,000 is provided under certain terms and conditions in two installments of Rs 3000 to the beneficiary mothers.
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.
About 12.26 lakh children of age group six month to three years, 9.28 lakh children between 3 to 6 years and 5.8 lakh pregnant and mothers of new born babies are being covered in this scheme, officials said.
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, jiggery and roasted ground nut.
As many as 26.62 lakh women and children are served nutritious food in Anganwadi and Mini Anganwadi centres across the State, officials stated.
The food is distributed in 43,558 Anganwadi and 6,329 Mini Anganwadi centres operated by Woman and Child Development Department.
Department officials informed that a total of 220 Integrated Child Development projects are currently operational in 27 districts of the State.
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.
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.
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.
Women and Child Development Minister Ramsheela Sahu last month stated that the rate of malnutrition among children has declined drastically and Chhattisgarh will attain the millennium goals for reducing malnutrition by the end of 2015.
She was speaking at the Orientation Workshop of District Programme Officers, District Women and Child Development officers and Child Programme Development Officers here.
Sahu said there are several programmes like Navajatan Yojana, Weight Festival (Vajan Tyohar) , Sneha Camps, Nutrition Choupal and Chief Minister's Bal Sandarbh Yojana in Chhattisgarh.
The beneficiaries should receive their updated information at the designated places. It helps in correct assessment of the schemes, she said.
The main purpose of this workshop will be achieved only when the know-how is implemented at the ground-level. It is necessary to create awareness among the masses and urge them to join the schemes, Sahu said.
It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh has as many as 54 Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) functional in the State with 2,685 children admitted in them as on December 2014.
The State is among the top 10 ‘Non North East (NE)’ High Focus states.The other states in the category are-Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Under National Health Mission, 896 Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) are functional in 25 States/UTs, for treatment and nutritional rehabilitation of children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition along with medical complications.
The number of children referred to NRCs by ANM, ASHA, Anganwadi workers and admitted to NRCs during each of the last three years.
The Chhattisgarh government is also opening ‘Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres’ (NRCs) in the community health centres of the insurgency infested districts.
During the last financial year, a total of 88 malnurished children were brought back to normal nutritional levels in the district. Notably, 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.