Bhubaneswar, Dec. 22: The state government today launched Odisha Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan in collaboration with Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives.
The objective of the programme is to reduce stunted growth in children below the age of five in the state by 20 per cent to 25 per cent and reduction in prevalence of underweight kids of the same age group.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the action plan here today. The plan will be functional for a period of three years between 2017 and 2020.
A state nutrition secretariat would be institutionalised under the aegis of the development commissioner to oversee the implementation of the multi-sectoral nutrition action plan. It will consist of secretaries of the departments of women and child development, health and family welfare, scheduled tribes and scheduled castes development, minorities and backward classes welfare, rural development, agriculture and farmers' empowerment, fisheries and animal resources development, food supplies and consumer welfare and panchayati raj.
In rural areas, malnutrition rate is higher at 35.3 per cent, whereas it stands at 27.2 per cent in urban Odisha.
The National Family Health Survey 2015-16 reveals that only about nine per cent children in the age bracket of six months to 23 months get "adequate diet", which is defined by the frequency of breastfeeding, solid and liquid food and meals for various age groups since birth.
To address the issue, the state government has decided to adopt a common results framework for nutrition.
This will streamline the process of identifying the problem of malnutrition based on area and make it easier for officials to implement the programme.
Besides, the women and child development department today launched the Biju Shishu Surakshya Yojana for creating a safety net for children who are deprived of biological and adoptive parents or legal guardians and those affected with HIV.
Assistance to such children will be provided in the form of support for technical education towards admission, study material and other related expenses. Besides, an annual scholarship of Rs 20,000 will be provided to the top three meritorious students from every district.<>The chief minister also unveiled a new Mamata scheme under which beneficiaries would be provided financial assistance in two instalments of Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 through e-transfer. Naveen said around 25 lakh pregnant women would benefit from the new scheme.
He said an amount of Rs 1,067 crore has already been distributed among the beneficiaries under the scheme. A new software for the scheme was launched that would help the beneficiaries to keep track of the assistance provided to them. Earlier, financial assistance under the scheme was provided in four installments.
