Officials of the Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Department will supply nutritional diet for one week to about 15 lakh Anganwadi children, pregnant, and lactating women in the State during the lockdown period.
“The Anganwadi workers and helpers will visit homes and deliver the diet to the beneficiaries. Instructions have been given to complete the exercise by Tuesday in all districts,” said WD&CW Director Krithika Shukla.
Government has been supplying the diet to children enrolled in Anganwadi Centres (aged between three and six years), registered pregnant women, and to lactating women up to six months post delivery in the State.
For children, mothers and mothers to be
“As many as 8.7 lakh pre-primary school children were enrolled in 55,670 Anganwadi Centres in Andhra Pradesh. In all, 6.5 lakh pregnant and lactating women enrolled in the centres will get the nutritional diet. All the district-level officers should treat the instructions as most urgent and expedite the distribution process immediately,” Ms. Shukla said on Tuesday.
Speaking to The Hindu , WD&CW Krishna District Project Director (PD) K. Uma Rani said 500 gm of rice, 200 gm of red gram, 50 ml edible oil and seven eggs will be given to each child for a week.
Home delivery
“For pregnant and lactating women, one kg rice, 250 gm of red gram, 125 ml of oil, 14 eggs and 1.5 litres of milk will be supplied per head till March 31. We request the beneficiaries to make use of the facility. Our staff will visit homes and deliver the provisions. Alternatively, beneficiaries can directly visit their respective Anganwadi Centres and collect them,” Ms. Uma Rani said.
“The decision has been taken to prevent malnutrition among children and mothers. The Regional Joint Directors (RJDs), Project Directors (PDs), Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and supervisors will monitor the delivery system,” Ms. Shukla said.
However, officers, staff, the Anganwadi workers, and helpers were instructed to take all steps to prevent the spread of Coronavirus while supplying the rations in the villages, she added.
