Bhubaneswar: The  government of Odisha presented in the assembly on 7 December that there are about  11,710 children in the state that are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida stated in the assembly, that Mayurbhanj district which has predominantly tribal populated, reported with the highest number of children suffering from SAM. Out of the total number of malnourished children in the state, only Mayubhanj alone has 1,460 such children. Ms Parida is in charge of the Women and Child Development Department in the Odisha state.

Keonjhar is the home district of Odisha ‘s chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, where there is 1,269 children reported to be suffering from acute malnutrition, whereas 760 children were identified malnourished in Nabarangpur district. The  other districts which reported to be high malnutrition of children are Rayagada (645), Kalahandi (636), Malkangiri (570), Ganjam (558) and Balasore (536).

Jagatsinghpur district has the lowest number of SAM children in the state as it has 50 malnourished children, Ms Parida said. She informed the House about the schemes implemented by the government to prevent malnutrition among children.

The deputy chief minister Ms Pravati Parida said regarding the scheme that are implemented by the government to terminate malnutrition in children. Government schemes like the Supplementary Nutrition Programme, ‘Mukhymantri Samproona Pushti Yojana’ (MSPY), ‘Pada Prusti Karyakram’ (PPK) and ‘Mamata Diwas’-VHND (Village Health and Nutrition Day) at Anganwadi centres,are being implemented by the government in the state.

-OdishaAge