Other States - Orissa   

Citizens’ alliance moves to check malnutrition

BHUBANESWAR: Citizen’s Alliance, comprising members of Parliament and personalities from other sectors, on Thursday said it would work towards minimising child malnutrition and spread awareness among masses on the issue.

“It is a collective responsibility of all to address child malnutrition. The group went to Cuttack district to collect first hand information about the implementation government programmes in different States,” Sachin Pilot, Congress MP, said addressing a press conference here.

The group was trying to identify smaller issues, may it be difficulties or good practices, which could later be incorporated in the national policy to address the critical problem being faced by the country, Mr. Pilot said adding that it was just a movement initiated recently.

Putting the issue into a perspective, filmmaker Shyam Benegal said, “we are the youngest country in the world. We will continue to be the youngest for the next three decades. Malnourishment is problem which would definitely hold back the country’s growth.”

Film fraternity could plan out different campaign through print media or television to sensitise all stakeholders such as mother, government officials or teachers, to take up the challenge of their own, Mr. Benegal elaborated.

The alliance is visiting Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Maharastra and meeting nutrition experts and administrators in the respective states.

Infant mortality rate (IMR) in Orissa continues to raise serious concern among policy makers. The IMR prevailing in the State is well above the national average. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh supported the initiative by stating that government would partner them to create a national movement to combat a problem of malnutrition, Mr. Pilot said.

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