BHUBANESWAR: The State government on Saturday requested the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to use technology to enhance outreach of the food security net and improve access to food security for the poor and vulnerable sections.
Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra during a consultative session on food security here, said that the State government is fully committed to reducing poverty and malnutrition. There has been a significant reduction in rural poverty and food security has improved to a great extent in the past years,” Mahapatra added.
He said the partnership between WFP and Odisha has been very effective since the last two decades and six more partnership agreements in new areas have been initiated in the last year alone.
Emphasising on aligning the strategic plan towards sustainable development goal (SDG) targets and making it more outcome-oriented, Mahapatra assured that the State government would continue working with WFP in coming years for implementation of the strategic plan.
The WFP-India organised a multi-stakeholder interactive and consultation session on food security in the State on digital mode in which more than 80 policy makers, government officials, NGO partners, academicians, and corporate houses gave their inputs for making the WFP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 for Odisha more inclusive and effective.
WFP-India, Country Director Bishow Parajuli said, “Odisha has been a center of innovative pilots and schemes for improving food and nutrition security. The world has taken note of the innovative programmes launched by the State, and how these schemes provided a food security lifeline during the current pandemic times.”
Application of biometric technology in making TDPS error free, rice fortification, nutritious food in MDM and anganwadi centers, State food security programme, women-led take home ration production model are some such interventions in Odisha.
Parajuli said that the strategic plan would be finalised soon in collaboration with the State government incorporating the inputs availed from this interactive session. Development Commissioner Pardeep Jena suggested targeting specific areas and communities that are more vulnerable for food and nutrition security to bring them at par with the rapidly improving State parameters.