Coronavirus Pune: Tribal department to resume supply of cooked food to pregnant, nursing mothers
Pune: The State Tribal Development Department has asked section officers to resume home delivery of hot and freshly cooked food to pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as for children in the age group of seven months to six years under the Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Aahar Yojana.
To ensure social distancing, the home delivery of freshly cooked food was temporarily stopped for some time because of the COVID-19. It was risky to assemble volunteers at one place to cook food, as per the state government’s notification issued on March 20.
However, scheme beneficiaries from remote areas of Maharashtra have appealed for the supply of fresh cooked foods, eggs and bananas during this lockdown.
Considering this the department has directed Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM) or members of self-help groups or any available kitchen from where hot and freshly cooked food can be availed, to supply food to all the beneficiaries-- pregnant/breastfeeding women of the scheme in the jurisdiction of Anganwadi.
Also, these groups have been asked to supply eggs and bananas sufficient for one week for children.
In areas where food can’t be supplied, these groups will be allowed to distribute basic food materials like wheat, pulses, rice, salt, spices etc. to the beneficiaries to suffice for one month.
Nevertheless, the department has also stated that in case food materials can’t be supplies to some areas then the concerned district officer, district administration and associated project officer or tribal development project officials should ensure that money for one month’s ration is deposited in the bank accounts of beneficiaries.