Lok Sabha Question No. 206 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-11
Subject: Supplementary Food under ICDS
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RABINDRA KUMAR JENA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION No.206

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2016

## SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD UNDER ICDS

## 206     SHRI RABINDRA KUMAR JENA:

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

- (a) the  mechanism  put  in  place  to  check  the  quality  of  supplementary  foods provided to States under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  issued  guidelines  to  the  States  to  conduct periodical  test/checking  of  the  food  supplements  in  laboratories,    so  as  to ensure their quality;
- (c) if  so,  the  number  of  laboratories  notified  by  the  Government  for  testing  of food supplements in this regard;
- (d) the  details  of  States/UTs  that  have  complied/not  complied  with  the  above guidelines,  State/UT-wise  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year; and
- (e) the action taken against the non compliant States?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a to e): A statement is placed on the table of the house.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a  to  e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.206 FOR 11.03.2016  ON  'SUPPLEMENTARY  FOOD UNDER ICDS'

(a)  Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme;  however,  States/UTs  are  responsible  for  the  implementation  of  Scheme including  provision  of  supplementary  nutrition  to  children  (6  months  to  6  years), pregnant womenand lactating mothers as per the nutritional norms and guidelines of the Scheme.The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of this Ministryin collaboration with the  State  Governments/UTs  carries  out  periodic  checks  to  ensure  prescribed standards  with  reference  to  nutritional  norms  are  adhered  to  and  maintained properly.The States/UTs have also been advised to identify and involve Government Food Analysis Laboratories to get the SNP samples analyzed

(b)  The  Operational  Guidelines  for  Food  Safety  and  Hygiene  in  ICDS  have  been issued  by  the  Ministry  to  all  the  States/UTs  on  24.12.2013,  followed  by  a  circular dated  26.09.2014 inter  alia linking  release  of  funds  under  SNP  to  submission  of  a certificate of adherence tothese guidelines. The guidelines dated 24.12.2013 provide for  periodical  testchecking of the food so as to ensure quality.The State/UTs were further  directed  on  23.06.2015  to  submit  a  time-bound  action  plan  for  ensuring quality and hygiene standards of food under SNP.

Further, the Government has introduced a 5-tier monitoring and review mechanism at  National,  State,  District,  Block  and  Anganwadi Levels for which guidelines were issued on 31.3.2011. Under these guidelines, monitoring of quality of supplementary nutrition  is  one  of  the  roles  of  the  State,  District,  Block  and  Anganwadi  Level Committees.

(c)    The supplementary food provided under ICDS is analyzed through four quality control laboratories of FNB located at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Further, the  States/UTs  have  also  been  advised  to  identify  and  involve  Government  Food Analysis Laboratories to get the SNP samples analyzed.

(d&  e)      So  far,  five  States/UTs,  i.e.,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Mizoram,  Odisha,  Kerala, Assam,  and  Andaman  &  Nicobar  Islands  have  certifiedadherence  to  guidelines  of food safety.The remaining Statesare advised from time to time to submit the required certification.

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