Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) the provisions being made by the Government for supply of nutritious food to children born in inaccessible and rural areas in the country;
(b) whether a new project is likely to be started under the Child Health programme of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the details of norms likely to be developed by the Government for the physical and mental development of such children?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a):
• The Government of India is implementing Umbrella ICDS scheme across the country including in the inaccessible and rural areas of the country. Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) is one of the components of this ICDS scheme. Under SNP there is provision of 300 days of supplementary food to the beneficiaries in a year which entails giving more than one meal per day to the children from 3-6 years who attend Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). This includes morning snacks in the form of milk/ banana/seasonal fruits etc. followed by a hot cooked meal (HCM). For children below 3 years of age and pregnant and lactating mothers, age appropriate Take Home Rations (THRs) in the form of pre-mix/ ready-to-eat food are provided. Also, the Government has implemented the National Food Security Act, 2013 which ensures entitlements regarding nutritional support to pregnant and lactating mothers and children under the Anganwadi services.
• The Government of India has also been providing Rice, Wheat and Coarse grains at subsidized rates to the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) which covers inaccessible and rural areas also.