PM's Award for midday meal programme in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, Apr 20 (UNI) A midday meal programme, being implemented with the participation of women self-help groups (SHGs) in Chhattisgarh's naxalism-affected Bastar district, has been chosen for the Prime Minister's Award for Public Administration 2007, official sources said.

More than 2,500 women SHGs have been involved in the programme, launched in tribal Bastar region in 2004 under the guidance of the then District Collector Dinesh Shrivastav. This Bastar model is among a dozen entries selected for the Award to be presented on 'Civil Service Day, tomorrow.

While government schools run the programme only during the academic session, Bastar became the first district to provide such meals all year round with the help of SHGs that are managing 2,672 schools in areas where rebels have considerable clout. The SHGs changed the menu by serving soyabean, green vegetables, eggs, fruits, kheer, jaggery and puri.

According to Mr Shrivastav, now the Special Secretary (Women and Child Development) and Director (Public Relations), ''a recent survey among children revealed that the scheme checked malnourishment. In order to maintain quality, efforts are being made to motivate SHGs to improve nutrition and taste.'' Active involvement of tribal women in SHGs ensured accessibility to bank micro credit, he said adding that these SHGs generated a revolving fund of Rs 5 crores through small savings used for loans and other income-generating activities.

UNI