The Balod district has undertaken a unique initiative to provide hot cooked meals through ‘home tiffin service’ to the women who are unable to visit Anganwadis. The initiative taken under the state government’s ambitious ‘Mukhyamantri Suposhan Yojana’ was launched three years ago.
In a bid to make this scheme a success, freshly prepared meals are being delivered to 650 women who are unable to visit Anganwadis at their doorstep in the Balod district. The move is aimed at ensuring nutritious food to pregnant and lactating mothers to keep them healthy.
Balod district collector Kuldeep Sharma directed the Women and Child Development Department to provide doorstep delivery of freshly prepared meals to the women who are unable to come to the Anganwadi centers. Acting swiftly on the same, hot-cooked meals are being provided to all pregnant and lactating mothers.
The scheme was launched on October 2, 2019, to provide healthy and nutritious meals to malnourished children under 6 years of age and to anemic women and adolescent girls between 15 to 49 years of age. Since its inception till now, nearly 2.10 lakh children (50 per cent) have been freed from malnutrition in the state. In addition, about one lakh women are now anemia-free, a government communique claimed.
A nutritious diet is extremely important for pregnant and lactating mothers. Lack of nutritious food causes anemia and malnutrition in mothers and children. Physical weakness increases the risk of getting infected with various diseases, it added.