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Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Thursday launched the fifth state level 'nutrition month' programme and said that the state government was positive about increasing the honorarium of anganwadi workers and a decision would be taken soon. During the event, he distributed fruit baskets and baby care kits to pregnant women, children and breast-feeding mothers, according to news agency PTI report.
Rubal Agrawal, commissioner of state Women and Child Welfare department, said 'nutrition month' will be celebrated in all 1.10 lakh anganwadis in the state from September 1 to 30. Agrawal further informed that the weight of children, food, women and child health, education and several such issues would be discussed in events that will be held as part of the month.
Notably, the Maharashtra government's month-long special nutrition campaign, Rashtriya Poshan Maah, which got underway on Thursday, will focus on the promotion of indigenous toys for learning, gender-sensitive rainwater conservation at anganwadis and growth measurement drives. The Ministry of Women and Child Development is celebrating the fifth Rashtriya Poshan Maah from September 1 to 30. This year the objective is to trigger Poshan Maah through gram panchayats as "Poshan Panchayats" with key focus on 'women and health' and 'child and education', WCD Minister Smriti Irani said.
Additionally, in a meeting with anganwadis from across the country, Irani said the month-long event will witness intensive activities across the country for awareness about nutrition at the ground level through sensitisation drives, outreach programmes, identification drives, camps and fairs with special focus on pregnant and lactating women, children below six years and adolescent girls, in order to realise the vision of ‘Swasth Bharat’.
WCD Minister Smriti Irani further noted that growth measurement drives will be conducted to bring more beneficiaries under the ambit of anganwadi services. Growth measurement drives under Swasth Balak Spardha will be conducted by States with the help of AWWs, AWHs, ASHA, district functionaries and agencies such as Lions Club, Rotary Club, etc., she added. Health camps for anaemia check-ups will be especially organised at anganwadi centres for adolescent girls, as per the report.
(With inputs from PTI)