Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur inspecting the meal
Punjab Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development Dr. Baljit Kaur paid a surprise visit to CDPO offices Faridkot and Gidarbaha. He said that he had received information that the food provided to children and pregnant women in Anganwadi centers was not of good quality and consuming such food was adversely affecting their health.
Cabinet Minister Baljit Kaur opened the packets lying in the office store and inspected sweets, khichdi and puffed rice to be distributed to children in Anganwadi centers under the Supplemental Nutrition Program scheme. During his visit, he received and examined the khichdi and daliya prepared in the office. The cabinet minister expressed his satisfaction by eating the prepared khichdi and khichdi and checking it himself.
Cabinet Minister Baljit Kaur said that good and standard food items are supplied to all Anganwadi Centers in Punjab by MarkFed, Punjab and its quality is checked at the district level by District Program Officers and Child Development Project Officers, Nutrition Staff and Supervisors only after inspection. Distribution is done in Anganwadi Centres.
Apart from this, he also checked the packing, production and expiry date of the goods. He said that under the able leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab government is working day and night for the welfare of the people and the common people are being directly benefited by running the public welfare schemes. He said that Punjab government is committed to provide good health facilities to the people.
The representatives of the department said that the duration of the ration given by the Punjab government is three months. Whenever the ration arrives at the office of the Child Development Scheme Officer, the ration is immediately sent to the different Anganwadi centers for the children. He told Cabinet Minister Baljit Kaur that the quality of food supplied to Anganwadi centers is checked manually and only after that it is distributed to the beneficiaries.
He said that apart from this Anganwadi helpers are also made aware from time to time about the method of making it. He said that samples were also taken to check the quality of food items in Anganwadi centres. Meanwhile, District Program Officer, District Manager Markfed CDP were also present.
