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Move to replace Anganwadi’s take home ration opposed

Condemning this move, Right to Food Campaign India, wrote a letter to the WCD minister. The letter has been endorsed by over 170 individuals and networks.

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At a time when the union Woman and Child Development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi and the WCD department have different opinion over the Take Home Rations (THR) for beneficiaries given at Anganwadi Centres. However, health and nutrition activists have opposed minister’s plans to replace THR with factory made packets.

Condemning this move, Right to Food Campaign India, wrote a letter to the WCD minister. The letter has been endorsed by over 170 individuals and networks.

“As per reports, the union WCD minister plans to replace take-home rations given at Anganwadi Centres with “energy-dense, factory-made nutrient packets”. Such a move would open doors for private contractors and suppliers, taking control over what is given at Anganwadi Centres in a decentralised manner,” Deepa Sinha of Right to Food Campaign India told DNA.

“Such centralised commercial production and distribution is prone to corruption and poor quality. On the other hand decentralised supply can contribute to greater accountability, generate local employment and help ensure diverse diets,” she added.

Currently under ICDS, a total of 9.8 crore beneficiaries including 4.6 crore infants (under 3 years), 3.4 crore children (between 3-6 years) and 1.8 crore mothers are covered and are provided THR through 13.59 lakh Anganwadi centres across the country.

“It has been seen that the unholy nexus between the contractors and politicians/bureaucrats result in central contracts worth hundreds of crores for supply of food to ICDS.

The quality of food supplied to the centres is compromised while companies make profits from the meagre allocation on supplementary nutrition. Recent scams related to the above have been brought to light in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh,” said Sinha.

In Opposition 

“We are opposed to serve commercial interests in the supply of nutrition in ICDS. The SC orders related to banning private contractors must be strictly adhered to. We request Maneka Gandhi not to give in to the interest of profit and continue to abide by the spirit of National Food Security Act ,” said Sinha.

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