Under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), one of the six services offered at Anganwadi centres is supplementary nutrition food, which is an important service. Through Anganwadi centres, supplementary nutrition food is provided to children aged 6 months to 3 years, children aged 3 to 6 years, and to pregnant and lactating women. Under the scheme, supplementary nutrition food is also provided daily, at a cost of INR 5, to school dropouts aged 11 to 14 years and to all adolescent girls aged 14 to 18 years.
It is known that the plant established by the Akanksha Women Self-Help Group for the supplementary nutrition food programme under the Development Khand Bhaiyathan, in Darripara, Bhaiyathan, had its launch by Shri Laxmi Rajwade, Minister of Women, Child Development and Social Welfare, Chhattisgarh Government.
Regular supply will be made to 366 Anganwadi centres
Under the Integrated Child Development Project Bhaiyathan of Sunjpur district, the Akanksha Women Self-Help Group of Darripara was selected to provide quality supplementary nutrition food to children and women in Anganwadi centres. The group established a modern unit at a cost of about INR 90 lakh to produce sweet strength food and nutritious salt‑rich porridge. According to information from the Women & Child Development Department, the unit will manufacture about 35 metric tons of sweet strength food and nutritious salt‑rich porridge for regular supply to the 366 Anganwadi centres run under Project Bhaiyathan.
Employment opportunities for women self‑help groups
The plant will ensure the distribution of supplementary nutrition food to Anganwadi centres under Project Bhaiyathan. This initiative improves the nutritional status of children and pregnant women, and also provides employment and self‑reliance to women self‑help groups, a significant step towards empowerment.