Somnath seeks Parliament's support in women, child development

New Delhi, Sep 6 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said Parliament has to play a vital role in the development of women and children with an aim to make policies and programmes positively oriented towards both the important segments of society.

Inaugurating an exhibition organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development as a part of National Nutritional Week here last evening, Mr Chatterjee said the Members of Parliament should raise the issues concerning both the sections more often in the House. ''Ill-nourished population cannot contribute to the growth of the country and present level of the malnutrition is totally unacceptable. All efforts should be made to deal with the issue of malnutrition on priority basis,'' he asserted.

Highlighting the efforts being made by the Government to treat the malnutrition through its various programmes, Minister of Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury said investment in the nutrition sector could give many-fold returns.

She added that it was the need of hour to create awareness about the nutritional needs of the children to have sound foundation of the future citizens. On the occasion the Minister also launched the Mother and Child Card to keep track of health at Anganwadis.

The purpose of three-day Exhibition on Nutrition, inaugurated at India Gate Lawns, is to create wider awareness about nutritious food and inculcate healthy eating habits. This will also provide opportunity to learn about changing nutritional needs throughout the life-cycle and how these could be best met from locally available foods at economical cost.

Cultural programmes will also be held to disseminate information on nutrition and health through magic shows, songs and folk dances.

UNI BKS GL PM1610