How will children and mothers remain healthy when nutritious ‘Ready to eat’ food not reaching them for the past four months? Ironically, the government is observing nutrition month and several block level events are being organised in the district but the women and children are devoid of the packaged nutritional diet in the district.
The ‘Ready to eat’ food is given to small children, pregnant women and adolescent girls through Anganwadi centers. Social Welfare Officer, Garhwa, Shalini Vijay said that Government allocation has not been received from April. Government has arranged nourishment, egg and fruits for the children. So that children are not malnourished, she added.
Notably, sources said that the children were started to given eggs but the number of eggs many times fell short to feed the children. Not only this, those eggs which were served to children were of very low quality. In many places this case has emerged in investigation. Apart from this, the children who did not take eggs did not get fruits in place of eggs1.
The officer said she also received information regarding low quality of eggs at some centers but that all the eggs were sent to the supplier for replacement. She also directed to the Anganbadi sewika for given fruits to the children who not eaten eggs.
She said that 89,814 beneficiaries are eligible under this scheme in the district. It includes children, pregnant women and mothers who feed their children.