Nutrition of endangered children
Dialogue partner, Patahi. A total of 193 Anganwadi centers are operating in all the panchayats of Patahi block. Here funds are allocated to provide nutritional food to the children coming for pre-school education as per the menu prescribed by the government.
Despite this, in most of the Anganwadi centers of the block, children are neither getting hot food as per the menu nor are eggs and fruits being given regularly.
Weekly menu of nutritional supplements determined
Under the Integrated Child Development Project, a weekly menu of supplementary nutrition is prescribed for Anganwadi centres. According to this menu, it is mandatory to provide breakfast to children in the morning and hot cooked food in the afternoon at the centres.
According to the menu, on Monday, roasted gram and peanuts for breakfast and rice pulao are to be served, on Tuesday, banana, papaya or seasonal fruits and potato-gram vegetable and rice are to be given for breakfast, on Wednesday, sprouted gram and jaggery are to be given for breakfast and soybean vegetable and rice are to be given in the meal.
Egg is not available in most places
On Thursday, there is a provision of serving seasonal fruits and Rasiyav for breakfast, on Friday, milk for breakfast and rice with pumpkin-dal or green-dal in the meal, while on Saturday, there is a provision of giving fruits for breakfast and khichdi in the meal.
Local people allege that in most of the 193 Anganwadi centers of the block, except a few, children do not get eggs or fruits. This is adversely affecting the nutrition of children.
All Anganwadi centers are being monitored through the Nutrition Tracker app. Supervisors have been instructed to inspect the centers and submit reports. Wherever irregularities are found, strict action will be taken against the concerned.- Sadanand Das, CDPO, Patahi.