Govt ready to issue white paper on malnutrition

Nagpur, Dec 13 (UNI) The Maharashtra government will come out with a white paper on malnutrition and infant deaths, Minister for Women and Child Welfare Harshawardhan Patil told the Legislative Council today.

Replying to a short discussion on infant deaths and malnutrition in the state, Mr Patil said a joint monitoring committee would be set up to keep a watch on various government schemes to check malnutrition and infant deaths.

The monitoring committee, which will comprise representatives of the government and voluntary organisations, would review the implementation of the schemes every two months, he said.

Mr Patil said women savings groups had been entrusted with the task of supplying supplementary diet scheme for 'anganwadis' in the state. Almost 60 per cent of the work was now being done through such groups, the minister said.

Initiating the discussion, Deepak Sawant (Shiv Sena) said that despite spending over Rupees 250 crore on various schemes, the government had failed to control malnutrition and infant deaths in the state.

Dr Nilam Gorhe (Shiv Sena) lambasted the government for failure to rectify the system which encourages corruption at the implementation stage of various schemes. Arun Gujrathi (NCP) suggested that volutary organisations be involved in the implementation of schemes.

UNI XR/AB PM MSJ GC1743