LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, March 31: The state government has failed to feed eggs during the mid day meals provided to children in its Anganwadi centres. The government had taken the decision to feed eggs to children six days a week in more than 30,000 Anganwadi centres.
According to the National Nutrition Survey, there are around 42.9 percent malnourished children in Jharkhand. This is the highest in the country. Anemia affects 69 percent children and 65 percent women in Jharkhand.
Earlier, Chief Minister Hemant Soren had said on several occasions that his government is committed to making Jharkhand a malnutrition-free state. Schemes like Dishom Guru Vatika Yojna, Samar Project, Mobile Treatment Van Service, Didi Bari Scheme, providing eggs to children for six days in Anganwadi Centres were prominently included in this list.
A provision was made in the budget of 2021-22 by the government, to provide eggs to the children of Anganwadi centres three days a week. At the same time, in the cabinet meeting in June 2022, the government passed a proposal to provide eggs six days a week. However, the government has failed in doing so.
Regarding egg and malnutrition, the government had said that the war against malnutrition would be fought as a public movement. Considering the high proportion of malnourished children in the state, the government has decided to provide one egg with food per day to each child with a determination to save them from malnutrition.
The government had said that children in the age group of 3 to 6 years would be given eggs six days a week, as part of hot cooked meals (HCMs) served at Anganwadi centers to address malnutrition in the state.
Anjani Dode, Director at the Social Welfare Department said that due to the low egg rate in the budget, the suppliers did not participate in the tender because of which the tender for the egg could not be completed.
Apart from this, the objectives of eradication of malnutrition are to be achieved in a planned and time-bound manner through the 1000 days Samar Project (Strategic Action for Elimination of Malnutrition) across the state.
