Odisha Cabinet approves ₹3,354 crore nutrition improvement programme

Following the Orissa High Court’s direction to the Naveen Patnaik government to ensure the complete absence of Severe Acute Malnutrition in children and the reduction of Moderate Acute Malnutrition in children by half in the State by end of 2023, the State Cabinet on June 21 approved the Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana, aimed at transforming nutrition outcomes at a projected cost of ₹3,354.40 crore. The State Cabinet, chaired by Mr. Patnaik, gave its consent to MSPY, which seeks to transform nutrition outcomes in adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers; and SAM, MAM and severely underweight children of under six years of age across the State over a period of five years, commencing from current financial year, 2023-24. Under the MSPY, nutritional support such as eggs, laddoos and nutrition supplements will be provisioned for all adolescent girls in the age group of 15-19 years across the State, while Kishori Melas will be organised at the Integrated Child Development Service project level for the screening of nutritionally at-risk adolescent girls from the perspective of body mass index and mid-upper arm circumference. Provisioning of augmented THR and additional eggs for SAM, MAM and severely underweight children will be carried out for nutrition improvement of children aged below six years.