Telangana providing nutritious diet to women, children: Satyawati Rathod

Satyawati Rathod said the State government was taking steps to improve the nutritional and health status of women and children in the State

Hyderabad: Stressing the need to provide a balanced and nutritious diet to women and children belonging to poor sections, Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyawati Rathod said the State government was taking steps to improve the nutritional and health status of women and children in the State.

Rathod, who held a review meeting on issues related to nutritious diet to women and children on Tuesday, said officials need to ensure that all needy women and children get the nutrition they need to live a healthy life. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has launched the ‘Giri Poshan’ programme to provide nutritious food to children and underprivileged adolescent girls, she said.

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She directed the officials to take up distribution of nutritional food through anganwadi centres in a more efficient way so that all the needy women and children could get the benefits. Similarly, steps should be taken to ensure that the attendance of children in Anganwadi centers was 100 percent and pregnant and lactating mothers should also come to the Anganwadi center on a daily basis and educate them about nutritious food, she said.

In case of underweight children special care should be taken to ensure that they get nutritional food, she said, adding that special measures should be taken to maintain hygiene in all Anganwadi centers.

Referring to the prevalence of child marriages in the tribal areas, the Minister said due to the awareness programmes taken up by the State government, child marriages have come down to a large extent among tribes.

Kalyana Lakshmi scheme, under which financial assistance is being provided to brides belonging to SC, ST, and minority communities, had played a vital role in bringing down child marriages among tribal, the Minister noted.

Special Secretary to Chief Minister Smita Sabharwal, Tribal Welfare Secretary Christina Z Chongthu and Women Development and Child Welfare Secretary Bharti Holikeri were present.