Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida Tuesday announced an increase in cost for nutritional support for severely underweight children from Rs 14 to Rs 18 per day.
Parida, who heads the Women and Child Development Department, also announced an enhancement in breakfast allocations for Anganwadi pre-school children.
The daily cost of supplementary nutrition provided to severely underweight children aged between six months and six years has been increased from Rs 8 to Rs 12. In addition, Rs 6 per child per day is being provided under the Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana. As a result, these children will now receive nutrition worth a total of Rs 18 per day, officials said.
Around 35,000 severely underweight children across Odisha are expected to benefit directly from this enhancement. The state government will bear an additional annual expenditure of approximately Rs 10.7 crore for the initiative.
Similarly, the daily allocation for breakfast provided to pre-school children (3-6 years) at Anganwadi centres has been increased from Rs 1.24 to Rs 3.56. The state will incur an additional annual expenditure of approximately Rs 126.83 crore from its own budget towards this enhancement.
Parida launched a simple digital book explaining the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life here at an event.
Speaking on the occasion, the deputy chief minister said that the first 1,000 days of life-from conception until a child’s second birthday-constitute the most critical period for a child’s overall growth and development.
Keeping this significance in view, the Women and Child Development Department developed a digital book in Odia that explains each stage of the first 1,000 days and the care required during this period in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, she said.
She said that Anganwadi workers will use the digital book during home visits to create awareness among beneficiaries. Efforts have also been made to disseminate the digital book widely through Anganwadi workers and social media platforms so that it reaches all intended beneficiaries across the state, Parida stated.
The DyCM appealed to parents and family members to read and apply the guidance provided in the digital book in their daily lives.
She expressed confidence that collective adoption of these practices would help realise the vision of a “Healthy Mother Healthy Child Healthy Family” in Odisha.
PTI