Gujarat govt mulls introducing millets in PDS, mid-day meal scheme

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat govt is actively considering a proposal to introduce millets more widely in the public distribution system (PDS) as well as the mid-day meal scheme in the state. This was one of the key recommendations made during the last edition of Chintan Shibir held at Dharampur in Valsad last year.Govt sources said that both the PDS and the mid-day meal system will be enriched further with the introduction of millets. “The state govt has been promoting the consumption of millets for the past few years, but this move will considerably increase it. Lakhs of beneficiaries have been part of the PDS and mid-day meal scheme in the state,” said an official connected with the project.“Officials stressed the need to strengthen nutrition initiatives through impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns and improve infrastructure. A number of measures have been proposed to further increase millet consumption,” said an official.Sources said the govt has been strengthening the anganwadi network considerably and plans are underway to construct 930 new anganwadi centres at school locations for better coordination and delivery of services.Govt sources said that a ‘lifecycle approach to nutrition’ strategy is being adopted, where an integrated approach across all platforms will ensure benefits for all intended beneficiaries. “Coordination issues are being addressed by creating a unified dashboard based on Aadhaar verification for women and child development (WCD), health, education, and other departments,” a source said.Some of the key actions that are presently under implementation include linking different platforms such as the Poshan Tracker and Techo+ for real-time data integration, said officials.“Another measure being implemented is strengthening of convergence between the integrated child development scheme (ICDS) and the health department through frontline workers,” an official said. Sources said that this will substantially strengthen the state’s goal of increasing millet consumption.