Question : DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD BY ANGANWADIS

(a) whether the Government has conducted/ proposes to conduct any study to review the distribution system of Nutritional food to women and children through Anganwadis;

(b) if so, the details and the findings thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with other steps taken in this regard;

(c) whether the Government proposes to restructure the prescribed nutritional intake and replace/add to the nutritional food items including Panjeeri provided to women under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP);

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the other steps/measures taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a): No, Madam.

(b): As per norms of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, Government of India is respon- sible for the Planning & Policy issues whereas State Governments are responsible for the implementation of the Scheme. Government has introduced 5-tier monitoring & review mechanism at National, State, District, Block and Anganwadi Levels, across the country, for which guidelines were issued on 31.03.2011. Under these guidelines, the District and Block level Committees will closely monitor and review implementation of ICDS Scheme including quality of supplementary nutrition and method(s) of delivery of supplementary food at AWCs.

(c), (d) & (e): The Government has been administering the ICDS, a centrally sponsored scheme, for holistic develo- pment of children under the age of six years and pregnant & lactating mothers. The scheme is implemented by State/ UT Administrations One of the services provided under the ICDS Scheme is Supplementary Nutrition. For malnouri- shed children, enhanced supplementary nutrition (SNP) cost norms and calorific norms as compared to the normal children have been provided. The other services provided are (i) pre-school non-formal education (ii) nutrition & health education (iii) immunization (iv) health check-up and (v) referral services at Anganwadi Centres.

In order to address various programmatic, management and institutional gaps and to meet administrative and opera- tional challenges, Government approved Strengthening and Restructuring of ICDS Scheme in September 2012 with an over-all budget allocation of Rs.1,23,580 crore during 12th Five Year Plan.

The Restructured and Strengthened ICDS has been rolled out in a phased manner from 2012-13 to 2014-15 and is effective in entire country w.e.f. 01-04-2014.

One of the key features of Strengthened and Restructured ICDS is the revision of financial norms for supplementary nutrition, which after revision, are as under:-

 
 Sl.	Category	Revised cost norms No.	(for beneficiaries	per day) 
 1.	Children	Rs.6.00	(6-72 months) 2.	Severely	Rs.9.00	malnourished	children	(6-72 months) 3.	Pregnant	Rs.7.00	women and	nursing mothers