Mid-day meal scheme under Anganwadi centres begins

Kakinada: The society would grow healthy only if mother and child were provided with nutritious food, Union Minister for Human Resources MM Pallam Raju said. He inaugurated the Mid-day Meal programme for children aged between three and six years being implemented from July 1 in the State at Anganwadi centres in Kakinada of East Godavari district on Monday. On this occasion, Mr Pallam Raju said that the State and the Central governments had introduced mid-day meal scheme in order provide nutritious food to children and called upon the officials to ensure that every child below six years of age could get meals at Anganwadi centres. Any person could realise dreams only if he or she could get nutritious food, he said and added that the government took the responsibility of providing nutritious food for everyone. He explained that the government had introduced the scheme as nutritious food was not reaching everyone in proportion to the growing population. He stressed the need for greater awareness to prevent women from getting married at early age and giving birth to children. Minister for Stamps and Registrations Thota Narasimham said that the State government had introduced mid-day meal scheme for children below three years through Anganwadi centres from July 1 to provide them with nutritious food. He observed that rich people in cities like Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada were leaving their kids at baby care centres and going to work. The government had introduced this scheme for poor people who go to work on daily wages and could not afford that luxury. Collector Neetu Prasad said that the mid-day meal scheme was being implemented in 5,124 Anganwadi centres in East Godavari district and nearly three lakh children would be benefited. ICDS project director Nirmala opined that the scheme, being implemented at Anganwadi centres in 11 districts, would immensely benefit poor children. Later, the Union minister released a brochure in connection with the scheme. He inaugurated the scheme for children and pregnant women by distributing 16 eggs, one kg of dal and half kg of cooking oil for each woman for one month. DM&HO Dr Padmavathi and child development project officer Savithri were present.