About Rs54.36 crore had been allocated as loans during the past 13 years to the 29052 Women's Self-Help Groups from the Chhattisgarh Women's Fund of the Women and Child Development Department .
The loan scheme had been launched in 2003 to provide easy-term loans to the Women's self-help groups.
The women's groups are given loans up to Rs50,000 at first instance at a nominal rate of 3 per cent interest per annum. Once the loan amount is cleared again a loan of up to Rs2 lakh is provided at second instance.
The loans are to be repaid in 24 installments and at second instance it has to be paid in 36 installments.
The repayment of loan amount begins after the three-month period. In 2003-04 about Rs33 lakh had been released as loans to 679 Women's Self-Help Groups and in 2015-16 about Rs5.61 crore had been allotted to 1665 women's self-help groups.
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 Rs470 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.