BHUBANESWAR: In a healthy move, the State Government has decided to dish out more nutrition in the food supplied to children between three months and six years through anganwadi centres.The menu of food provided in anganwadi centres (AWC) under Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) along with take home ration (THR) per month for children and nursing mothers have been revised. Food will be provided as per the revised menu from July 15.
The menu which has been revised at an enhanced cost of SNP per head will have at least five eggs a week per child. The menu on Monday and Thursday will be rice, dalma and lemon while on Tuesday it will be rice, boiled egg, vegetable curry and lemon. On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the menu will be rice, egg curry and lemon.
Secretary in the Women and Child Development Department Anu Garg said the new menu for morning snacks in AWCs will have ragi and besan ladoo on Monday and Friday, groundnut and flattened rice ladoo on Tuesday and Thursday, sprouted moong with jaggery or seasonal fruits on Wednesday and Saturday.
The take home ration for children in the age group of six months to three years has also been revised to 12 eggs, 1.5 kg dry ration consisting of suji/ragi/maize/besan/sugar and 2.45 kg of chhatua per month. The THR for women and nursing mother per month has been revised to 12 eggs, chikki or ladoo made of groundnut/ragi/jaggery 25 pieces and 4.9 kg of chhatua.
Besides, THR for adolescent girls in the age group of 11 to 14 years and severely underweight children in the age group of six months to three years has also been revised. THR for severely underweight children includes hot cooked meals and morning snacks at AWCs daily along with additional 1.8 kgs of chhatua and 42 pieces of laddu.
Garg said dry ration and chhatua for THR should be supplied once a month while boiled eggs should be provided each week.The SNP cost per head has been increased to `8, `9.50, `12 and `9.5 for children in the age group of six months to six years, pregnant and nursing mothers, severely underweight children and adolescent girls respectively.
The issue was discussed over video conferencing by Chief Secretary AP Padhi with the district collectors and social welfare officers on Friday.