Bhadrak: The Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) under the ICDS has reportedly gone awry in Bhadrak as 555 children were found malnourished in the district.
It is alleged that the SNP, which is aimed at battling malnourishment among pregnant women and children, has failed to achieve its objective in the district for lack of proper monitoring and sincerity of officials concerned.
According to a report, the women and child welfare department has identified 527 kids, aged between six months and five years, in the red zone.
Special attention is not being paid to them by the department. Under the SNP, the department provides eggs and sattu to pregnant women and children, but many kids are found under weight.
Quality is not ensured in the nutritional food being supplied to the kids and pregnant women, it is alleged.
The malnourished kids are being sent to a nutrition centre at Gabasahi for medical treatment.
Reports said there are eight project areas of the ICDS in seven blocks. The officials had identified 81 children as underweight in Basudevpur; 78 in Bhadrak; 66 in Bhandaripokhari; 85 in Bant; 71 in Chandbali-1; 64 in Chandbali-2; 39 in Dhamnagar and 43 in Tihidi.
The matter came to the fore when 227 malnourished children were shifted to cyclone shelters during Fani. The district administration was shocked when it came to know about it during a recent review meeting.
Collector Gyanaranjan Das had called a meeting of officials concerned and wanted to know about the malnourished kids and their families’ economic condition, occupation and income. He had expressed his displeasure at the meeting attended by child development project officers and supervisors and asked the officials to pay special attention to the malnourished children.
District welfare officer Ashalata Mohanty said steps would be taken for the children after taking stock of the condition of their families.