Ranchi, July 2: The state chapter of Right to Food Campaign - a national network of professionals working towards ensuring food security - will launch the second edition of Anda Abhiyan tomorrow to ensure proper nutrition for underprivileged children.

This time, members of the state food campaign will take the initiative to anganwadis to bring children aged 3-6 years under the ambit.

To mark the launch of the statewide drive, the campaign members will visit Bar Kocha anganwadi at Nayak Toli in Jagannathpur, Ranchi, and serve eggs to children there.

"Actually, this mission has three objectives," said Ankita Agarwal, a member of the state chapter of Right To Food Campaign.

Apart from ensuring supply of eggs at anganwadis under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the drive will also press for strict implementation of the government order to provide eggs in midday meals in schools thrice a week and immediate rollout of the National Food Security Act (2013) in the state.

"An egg is almost a full meal for a young child. Except Vitamin C, it has all the essential nutrients. Poor children, who hardly get an egg at home, will benefit if eggs are served at anganwadis also," she said.

Also, Ankita added, the Right to Food Campaign was demanding replacement of ready-to-eat packaged food for small children, pregnant women and lactating mothers with locally available nutritious take-home rations and eggs.

Food activists had carried out a similar Anda Abhiyan across the state on July 4 last year, pressing for supply of eggs in midday meals in schools across the state. They had served eggs to schoolchildren at many places on the day.

Subsequently, the state government ordered supply of eggs in midday meals for three days a week. Apparently upbeat over the last year's success, the activists have planned to take the initiative to anganwadi children.

"Despite government orders, there were instances when eggs were not served in midday meals thrice a week on some pretext or the other," said Balram, state advisor to the Supreme Court appointed commissioners on food rights related cases.

He added that the food activists recently carried out a survey in 46 schools in Ranchi district. "A total of 17 of them were found to have not been serving eggs three days a week. However, after prodding, all those schools started supplying eggs regularly," he added, underlining the need for strict monitoring to ensure proper implementation of the Anda Abhiyan.