The ‘Nutrition at Doorstep’ scheme has successfully promoted food security and addressed malnutrition in rural households.
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The ‘Nutrition at Doorstep’ scheme, initiated by the Odisha government, has successfully promoted food security and addressed malnutrition in rural households.
A recent study by Odisha Shramajeebee Mancha and Mahila Shramajeebee Manchain 650 villages of Kandhamal district revealed that 96 percent of households had used vegetable seeds provided by the government to grow nutritional kitchen gardens.
There is growing demand in communities to receive this support.
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“The government has taken steps to address malnutrition by providing fruit and vegetable saplings as well as a vegetable mini-kit to 8 lakh identified malnourished families last year. The nutrition budget has also increased from19.31 percent in 2020-21 to23.03 percent in 2023-24.
However, according to Anjan Pradhan, Convener of Odisha Shramajeebee Mancha, this scheme must be expanded to at least 15 lakh households, as it has successfully promoted food security and addressed malnutrition in rural households.
He also urges the government to increase the number of seeds in the kit and provide separate winter-season vegetable seeds by May month so households can grow them before the monsoon.
Recently, a delegation of CSOs submitted a memorandum to the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister, Ranendra Pratap Swain, urging the renewal of this program.
According to the state government’s report, 4,93,941households with children identified with stunted growth,1,31,099 with wasted development, 2,69,784 underweight children, and 4,53,883 anaemic pregnant women as of last year.
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