Mid-day meal menu changed in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL - Hot pulao, puri and kheer will be on the menu of the mid-day meal at anganwadis (grassroots child and mother care centres) on Tuesdays as the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to provide better nutrition to children in the age group of three to six and pregnant women and lactating mothers, officials said Monday.

The move will come into force from Tuesday, officials added.

“The department of women and child development (DWCD) has changed the menu under the supplementary nutrition project (SNP) for Tuesdays and Saturdays in a bid to provide better nutrition to the children,” an official said adding that the DWCD and the panchayat (village council) and rural development department that takes care of the mid-day meal scheme would monitor the process jointly under the Sanjha Chulha scheme.

“While the beneficiaries at the anganwadis would be given puri, pulao, kheer and potato-tomato curry on Tuesdays, on Saturdays they would be given chapatti, rice, moong daal and Rajma-tomato curry as per the revised menu,” said Madhya Pradesh Women and Child Welfare Minister Ranjana Baghel.

Presently, there are about 67,000 self-help groups involved in preparing mid-day meals for about 9.2 million primary and middle schoolchildren in the state.

“The idea is not bad if implemented properly with honesty. Studies show that usually children and women get nutrition for 90 to 165 days, against their entitlement of nutrition for minimum of 300 days in a year,” said Prashant Dubey of the NGO Lok Sangarsh Saajha Manch.

“Secondly, the issue of quality is to be considered seriously. Only provision of some food, without ensuring quality, will not serve the purpose of tackling the problem of under nutrition in the state,” he added.