Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel Takes Important Step to Make Anganwadi Meals More Nutritious for Young Children
More Than 16.17 Lakh Children Aged 3 to 6 Years to Benefit from Enhanced Nutritious Meals at Anganwadth
State Government to bear the additional expenditure of ₹80 crore arising from the increase of ₹3.40
Menu to prioritise pulses, including whole green gram, chickpeas, green vegetables and fruits
53,065 Anganwadi workers to receive greater financial support
Gandhinagar, 14 October : Under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, the Gujarat Government has increased the daily rate for procuring ingredients for Hot Cooked Meals (HCM) at Anganwadis by 67%, from ₹5.10 to ₹8.50 per child under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. The increase of ₹3.40 per child per day will help provide more nutritious meals to over 16.17 lakh children aged 3 to 6 years across 53,065 Anganwadis in the state.
Importantly, the additional cost will be borne entirely by the State Government. The existing expenditure of ₹5.10 per beneficiary per day will continue to be shared equally by the Central and State Governments on a 50:50 basis, while the Gujarat Government will bear 100% of the additional ₹3.40 per beneficiary per day, amounting to approximately ₹80 crore annually. Accordingly, the total financial provision for hot cooked meals has been increased to ₹8.50 per beneficiary per day.
More Nutritious and Diverse Menu for Anganwadi Children
Under the guidance and the leadership of Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Manisha Vakil, the decision goes beyond increasing the meal budget. Whole green gram has also been added to the weekly Hot Cooked Meal menu. Children aged 3 to 6 years will receive a hot breakfast at 11:00 a.m. and a hot meal at 1:30 p.m.
The weekly menu includes a variety of dishes such as boiled or sprouted green gram, thick tuvar dal, vegetable pulao, muthia made with green vegetables, spiced chickpeas, green gram with rice, vegetables, fruits, sheera, sukhdi, bottle gourd dhebra, jaggery pudla, bhakhri, muthia, dhokla and idli. This arrangement ensures that children receive different varieties of hot and nutritious meals on different days of the week.
Comprehensive Planning Covering Pulses, Chickpeas, Green Gram, Fruits and Green Vegetables
In its resolution on the matter, the Women and Child Development Department has also provided a detailed plan specifying the quantities of ingredients to be procured locally. These include tuvar dal, whole chickpeas, whole green gram, jaggery, seasonal green vegetables, fruits such as bananas, peanuts or sesame seeds, spices and local transportation expenses. According to the resolution, the total rate of ₹8.50 per beneficiary per day includes ₹1.24 for tuvar dal, ₹0.85 for whole chickpeas, ₹1.30 for whole green gram, ₹0.525 for jaggery, ₹0.83 for seasonal green vegetables, ₹2 for fruits, ₹0.65 for peanuts/sesame seeds, ₹0.60 for spices and ₹0.50 for local transportation. An important aspect of this decision is that the system for local procurement of ingredients required for Hot Cooked Meals will now receive greater financial support.
State Government to Bear the Entire Additional Expenditure
The Gujarat Government will continue to share the existing cost of ₹5.10 per beneficiary per day equally with the Central Government on a 50:50 basis, while bearing the entire additional cost of ₹3.40 per day, amounting to a total provision of ₹8.50 per beneficiary per day. This decision combines increased financial support for Hot Cooked Meals at Anganwadis with a nutritious and varied menu that includes green gram, chickpeas, pulses, green vegetables and fruits, ensuring that children receive more nutritious hot meals through a better-organised system.
