Cabinet approves investment of Rs 12,000 cr on providing supplementary nutrition of pregnant women and children

New Delhi, September 21: Focusing on improving the health of children in India, the Cabinet held a press conference yesterday detailing government’s action on the same. The Cabinet chaired by Arun Jaitley approved increase of cost norms for supplementary nutrition provided in anganwadis and in the scheme for adolescent girls. 

 

The government will invest an additional Rs 12,000 crore for the nutrition of pregnant and lactating women, children in the age group of 0-6 years, and out of school adolescent girls in next three years. Jaitley said, “The revised cost norms for children up to six years will be eight rupees, for adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers, it will be 9.50 rupees and for severely malnourished category 12 rupees will be given.”

 

Under the ICDS, children between six months to three years are entitled to a morning snack as well as a hot-cooked meal at an anganwadi centre, while pregnant women, lactating mothers and severely malnourished children, who can't walk to the centre, are entitled to take home ration. 

 

Under-five mortality rates:  Health Minister JP Nadda also announced that the decline in under-five mortality rate or death below the age of 5 has doubled during the National Health Mission (NHM). 

Nadda further claimed that the Millenium Development Goal 6 target of halting and reversing the incidents of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV has been achieved. The government has also decided to relax the norms for the number of mobile medical units per 10lakh per population where the number of patients on daily basis stands over 60 in plain areas and 30 a day in hilly areas, said the statement. The Cabinet, meanwhile, has also approved the introduction of the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Parliament.  

 

Other announcements: The Cabinet also approved productivity link bonus of 78 days wages for Railway employees. About 12.3 lakh non-gazetted employees are likely to benefit from the decision. This does not include Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force personnel. 

Union Cabinet also gave its nod for transfer of Hotel Jaipur Ashok to Rajasthan government and Lalitha Mahal Palace hotel, Maysore to Karnataka government. It also approved disinvestment 51 percent equity shares of ITDC in Donyi Polo Ashok Hotel Itanagar. The government also decided to merge existing 17 government presses into five to rationalize and modernize them. The Finance Minister said, the surplus employees will be re-deployed in the new presses. He said, 468 acres of land of merged presses will come to central land pool after merger.