BALASORE: Discrepancies in provision of chhatua and other food supplements as part of take home ration (THR) for pregnant and lactating women by SHGs under Integrated Child Development Services came to the fore in Nilagiri after Union MSME Minister Pratap Sarangi directed investigation basing on allegations from locals.
The packets supplied contained far less quantity of food supplements as against the stipulated weight mandated by the government. Soon after the Union Minister intervened, his personal assistant Chandrabindu Das along with CDPO Sanjukta Maharana and DSWO Gita Mohanty conducted an inquiry only to find that the chhatua packets, distributed by the SHG Shakti Mira of Jaunri under ward no. 3 of the NAC, contained less content than what has been mandated to be supplied to the women and children.
While the government had instructed to provide red and yellow chhatua to pregnant and lactating women weighing 4.400 kg packet every month, the ones received by the beneficiaries weighed 3.8 kg. Alongside, blue chhatua packets stipulated to be 2.2 kg each were found to be of just 1.8 kg. Similar was the issue with suji that weighed 1.1 kg against the mandated 1.350 kg.
Das said the food packets were weighed in the presence of CDPO and DSWO along with anganwadi workers of Jaunri and locals. Each packet contained 400 gram less than the mandated quantity. Contacted, Maharana admitted to substantial reduction of contents in the food packets. Chhatua packets were seized in presence of Mohanty and a show cause notice was issued to the SHGs and supervisors who were entrusted with the task of grinding and distribution of the food packets.
A report on the matter was also submitted to Collector K Sudarshan Chakraborty and sub-collector Ashish Ishwar Patil. To fight severe malnutrition plaguing the rural pockets of Odisha, the ICDS had been supplying chhatua, ladu and suji to children, pregnant and lactating mothers along with women up to the age of 44 years through SHGs and anganwadi workers.