Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 23: The state government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) here Wednesday to provide nutrient food to schoolchildren in Dhenkanal district.
The pact was signed between school and mass education secretary Ranjana Chopra and country director of WFP Hameed Nuru to implement the multi-micronutrient fortification project in the district.
As per the MoU, 1, 37,031 students of 1723 schools in eight blocks of the district will be covered under the project. The project would be implemented for a period of 21 months, sources said.
The total cost of the project is Rs4.57 crore, out of which the state will bear Rs 1.17crore and the remaining amount would be borne by the WFP, sources said.
With the implementation of the project, the hemoglobin deficiency rate in the children would be reduced to 58 per cent from the existing 62.9 per cent among the children in the district.
“Multiple micronutrient fortified rice affects physical performance of children. It also boosts the plasma vitamin B-12 and homocysteine concentration among the school children. It is indeed an appropriate move by the state government to serve such rice during mid-day meals (MDM),” said an official.
Later, Nuru, during his visit to the capital city, said the state government needs to build more Aahar centres in the city to provide food to urban poor. He spent time at the Aahar centre at Kalpana square Wednesday and interacted with the government officials and public about the functioning of the Aahar centres in city. Nuru congratulated the state government for launching the Aahar scheme saying it would help bridge the gap in nutrition levels existing between the rich and the poor.
The state government has earlier taken up the project in Gajapati district where the children were served with rice and iron nutrient food to schoolchildren.
