Lok Sabha Question No. 3227 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-13
Subject: National Nutrition Mission
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shobha Karandlaje

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3227

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2020

## NATIONAL NUTRITION MISSION

## 3227.  KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has proposed to provide Rs. 35,600 crore for nutrition related programmes for the year 2020-21, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  that  the  funds  in  National  Nutrition Mission have been lying grossly under-utilized since 2016-17, if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the actual expenditure of the Ministry in 2018-19, against the allocation made;
- (d) the  details  of  schemes  being  implemented  to  improve  the  nutritional  status  of children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers;
- (e) whether the Government has proposed to appoint a Task Force to recommend steps to lower down MMR and ways to improve nutrition levels, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government has proposed an outlay of about Rs. 28,600 crore for programmes that were specific to women, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

- (a) Yes  Sir,  Government  has  proposed  to  provide  Rs.  35,600  crore  for  nutrition related programmes for the year 2020-21 for all concerned Ministries including Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- (b) Government is regularly reviewing with the States/UTs for ensuring utilization of funds  and  expeditious  roll-out  of  the  POSHAN  Abhiyaan.  The  reasons  for  low utilization of funds under POSHAN Abhiyaan earlier known as National Nutrition Mission are mainly as under :
- (i) POSHAN Abhiyaan was approved by the Government on 18.12.2017. The States  could  not  make  provisions  in  their  Budget  of  the  financial  year 2017-18 for incurring expenditure under various components of POSHAN Abhiyaan.
- (ii) Odisha  has  recently  approved  implementation  of  POSHAN  Abhiyaan  in the State and West Bengal is yet to implement the Abhiyaan.
- (iii) Delay  in  procurement  of  smart  phones  and  Growth  Monitoring  Devices (GMDs) in most of States/UTs.
- (c) Actual expenditure of the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2018-19 was Rs. 22534.33 crore against the Budget Estimates of Rs. 24,700 crore.
- (d) The  Government  is  implementing  several  schemes/programmes  of  different Ministries/Departments through States/UTs to address various aspects related to nutrition for improving the nutritional status of children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. This Ministry is implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan, Pradhan  Mantri  Matru  Vandana  Yojana,  Anganwadi  Services  and  Scheme  for Adolescent  Girls  under  the  Umbrella  Integrated  Child  Development  Services Scheme (ICDS) to address the problem of malnutrition in the country.
- (e) It  has  been  proposed  in  the  Budget  2020-21  Speech  of  the  Union  Finance Minister that a Special Task Force will be set up to recommend steps to lower down MMR and ways to improve nutrition levels.
- (f) Gender Budget Statement (Statement 13) published by the Ministry of Finance every year along with the Union Budget provides information about the budget allocated  for  the  welfare  of  women  and  girls  across  all  sectors  by  different Ministries/Departments.  Allocation in this statement are made in two parts viz. Part A for 100% women specific programmes; Part B for 30-99% women specific programmes.As  per  Gender  Budget  Statement  of  FY  2020-21,  the  allocation made in Part A for 100% women specific programmes is Rs. 28,568.32 Cr.

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