Maharashtra government's free-for-moms meal eyes healthy tribal kids

The APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Ahaar Yojna, to be rolled out in the state on Nov 15, will benefit over 1.9 lakh women in the first year

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To tackle severe malnutrition among children in the vast tribal belt spread across 16 districts, Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced the launch of the ambitious APJ Abdul KalamAmrut Ahaar Yojna, that will benefit all pregnant tribal women.

The scheme, mooted by the tribal development department, aims to ensure that every carrying tribal woman gets atleast one full meal a day, free of cost, to take care of her nutritious needs. To be rolled out on November 15, the Rs 22-meal will cost the eschequer Rs 75 crore an year. Besides, the women and child welfare department will spend Rs 10 crore in stipend to anganwadi workers.

The "hot cooked" meal, which will take into consideration the beneficiary's food preference, will be provided for six months – beginning from third trimester of pregnancy and continuing for three months after delivery – to ensure that the babies benefit during the lactation period.

To be projected as a flagship project of the Fadnavis government on completion of its one year in office, the scheme will benefit over 1.9 lakh women in the first year.

"The scheme is unique in the sense that the government role will be as a funding agency. It will be the tribal women and the local 'meal committees' who will be implementing the scheme. This is an experiment...the government, while aiming to ensure healthy and hygienic food, don't want any corruption to happen in such a big welfare scheme," said Rajgopal Deora, secretary, Tribal Development Department.

It seems, the alleged chikki scam has forced it to shun the controversial rate contract and tenders for the first time and think out of the box as far as the implementation of the welfare schemes are concerned.

As per the plan, a four-member meal committee would be constituted in every tribal village across 16 districts having tribal population. The committee would be headed by a woman panchayat member. Two other members would be pregnant or lactating mothers and an anganwadi worker.

"The meal fund for every village, based on registration of pregnant women, would be transferred to the joint account of the meal committee chairperson and the anganwadi worker. The committee would decide what to purchase and cook based on choice of pregnant women. The committee will not only execute the scheme, but also procure the grains, vegetables, eggs and fruits at local level. The move will empower tribal women as well," said Deora.

The local-level procurement will not only curb malpractice, but also break the nexus between politicians, babus and dubious firms, feel experts.

To monitor the scheme's effective implementation and curb any fudging of numbers at local level, the government is also collaborating with an NGO to bring in an app. "Through the app, the anganwadi worker has to click the pictures of beneficiaries which will directly be accessed at the district headquarter," said the official.

The proposed scheme will replace the 'take-home ration (THR) scheme' that provides packets of sheera or upma to expectant or lactating mothers at a cost of Rs 7.92.

Though this is the first such experiment of direct funding by the Maharashtra government, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have similar direct intervention schemes for tribal women.

What's in the menu
The hot meal will be served at anganwadi centres and will include bhakri/roti, rice, pulses, green vegetables (cooked in iodized salt), jaggery, groundnut laddus and boiled eggs/banana/nachni halwa and soyamilk.

Why new scheme?
A government study found that 23.1% children born in tribal areas are underweight. It also found that the average BMI of women living in the tribal region is less than 18.5, pushing the government to come up with the scheme.