Lok Sabha Question No. 334 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-21
Subject: Distribution of Nutritional Diet in Anganwadi Centres
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 334

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2023

## DISTRIBUTION OF NUTRITIONAL DIET IN ANGANWADI CENTRES

## 334.   SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government proposes to improve quality and to ensure the authenticity of the nutritional diet being served at Anganwadi Centres and set fresh parameters in regard thereto;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the task of distributing the nutritional diet has been assigned to the NonGovernmental Organisations or firms under the Women and Child Development Department which does not fulfil the prescribed parameters set in regard thereto, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  proposals  have  been  received  from  the  State  Governments  to  bring improvement in the nutritional diet and transparency in the system;
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to frame any policy to  bring  transparency  in distribution of nutritional diet, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (f) Under the Anganwadi Services Scheme of Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0), supplementary nutrition is provided to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children upto the age of 6 years at Anganwadi Centres  as per the nutritional norms. Recently, these nutrition norms have been revised and notified on 25 th  January, 2023. The revised nutritional norms are more comprehensive in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the principles of diet diversity to provide quality protein,  healthy  fats  and  7  essential  micro  nutrients  (calcium,  zinc,  iron,  dietary  folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

The  administration  and  implementation  of  the  scheme  including  distribution  of supplementary nutrition falls under the ambit of State Governments/UT administrations as the  scheme  is  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme.  However,  Government  has  issued Streamlined  Guidelines  dated  13th  January  2021  on  Quality  Assurance,  Roles  and Responsibilities of Duty Holders, procedure for procurement, integrating AYUSH concepts and  Data  Management  and  Monitoring  through  'Poshan  Tracker'  for  transparency, efficiency  and  accountability  in  delivery  of  Supplementary  Nutrition.  The  guidelines recommend that States/UTs shall ensure the quality of Supplementary Nutrition provided with reference to the norms of food safety as well as nutrient composition.  States/UTs are mandated to undertake quality testing through Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) owned or authorized laboratories.

Further, the guidelines also recommend  that  the  State/UT  must introduce transparent processes for procurement as per GFR and vigilance guidelines and ensure that Take Home Ration (THR) procured conforms to technical and nutritional standards set by the Government. Further, supply chain process in the States must be made transparent for functionaries to ensure uninterrupted supply to the last mile, which are compliant with FSSAI  registration-licensing  process  for  entities  involved  in  manufacture,  storage  and distribution of food to ensure food safety and hygiene.

To ensure last mile tracking of service delivery SMS alerts to beneficiaries has been introduced for delivery of Take Home Ration. Through Poshan Tracker ICT application, SMS is sent to registered beneficiaries on delivery of THR.

*******