Beneficiaries of nutrition programme want varieties regularly: commission of inquiry
Commission found that at some places, the products under the SNP, are not reaching regularly but these instances are far and too few which need rectification
Shillong, Sep 16: The commission of inquiry into rice allotment headed by Justice ( retd) Mool Chand Garg said the beneficiaries of the supplementary nutrition programme (SNP) under integrated child development scheme, has the desire to get varieties regularly.
The report was tabled in the Assembly on Friday by Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh.
This commission saidi it has done a minute scrutiny of the responses of the end users since they are the ultimate beneficiaries of the scheme. “While most of the beneficiaries were satisfied with the food they have been getting on a regular basis, they had desire to get varieties regularly”, it said.
Products not reaching regularly
The commission found out that at some places, the products under the SNP, are not reaching regularly but these instances are far and too few which need rectification.
It was observed from the statements of the end users that they were desirous of more local food, the commission said.
The common demands by the end users were with regard to milk, rajma, matar, horlicks, eggs, dalia, groundnuts, fruits and local food. The commission has also found out that some people have not liked the taste of few products which might require an improvement to the local taste buds.
“Although it is possible that the people might take time to develop the taste for the food item being supplied to them. In this connection, it is to be kept into consideration that the products supplied under the SNP program are essentially for a targeted populous in requirement of special nutrition. The finished fortified product is in essence supplementary diet with additional nutritional values and not a regular food product being given for enjoyment of taste and or to supplement regular food intake, the panel said. The objective of the scheme of Govt. of India itself aims at providing additional nutrition at given nutritional values at a certain budget. The commission said manufacturers under the scheme are therefore, required to manufacture fortified processed cereal based complementary food for the target category of pregnant women and lactating mothers and children aged upto 6 years.
“Relying on the observations of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in this regard, it is appropriate to point out that the finished products supplied under the SNP are not a regular food product having its individual taste suited to the palate of the end user and is essentially a complementary food product of desired nutritional value aimed at overall development and care of targeted population. “It is therefore, not necessary for this commission to dwell into the issue of taste and local flavour, as long as the specified parameters under the law are met”, the report said.
Local people who were getting the benefits of the scheme were very enthusiastic in participating with the commission and without the help of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOS) the entire work of getting their response could not have been possible since they have been a bridge in communicating with the people who knew only the local language, the commission added.
