Matru Poorna, a programme of serving hot cooked nutritious meal to pregnant women and lactating mothers, was formally launched here on Monday.
District in-charge Minister H.C. Mahadevappa inaugurated the programme by serving nutritious meal to pregnant women and lactating mothers at a function organised by the Departments of Women and Child Development, Public Instruction, and Health and Family Welfare.
The programme was launched to ensure that pregnant women and lactating mothers get adequate nutrition.
The launch also marked the Anganwadi Day which was attended by Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, MYLAC Chairman H.A. Venkatesh, among others. In his address, the Minister said 32,436 pregnant women and lactating mothers have registered under the programme by August-end in Mysuru district and all of them would be benefited from the scheme.
Nine child development schemes were in force in the district and 2,860 anganwadi centres were functioning in the district. The hot meal includes rice, sambhar, vegetable curry, boiled egg, 200 ml of milk, and chikki (a snack made from groundnut and jaggery). Those who do not consume egg will be served sprouts. Each meal contains 1,342 calories, 41 mg of protein, and 578 mg of calcium. Besides the meal, iron tablets will also be distributed.
Free meals will be served for 12 months and each meal costs ₹21. Women, from their third month of pregnancy, and up to the eighth month, can avail the meals by visiting their respective anganwadi centre. Anganwadi assistants will deliver the meal to the doorstep of pregnant women from ninth month of their pregnancy up to a period of 45 days after delivery. The lactating mothers have to visit the anganwadi centre for availing the meals for the remaining two months. The anganwadi assistants will get additional honorarium under the scheme.
