Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said the state would become ‘malnutrition free’ in coming three years.

To achieve this goal, State Nutrition Mission would be established as per the guidelines of National Nutrition Mission. The draft of the same has already been prepared, the CM said while speaking at a National level consultation workshop on management and elimination of malnutrition in Haryana organised by National Health Mission in collaboration with NITI Ayog and Centre for Health Research and Development-Society for Applied Studies.

Khattar said that Haryana has always been in forefront whenever the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clarion call to address such issues of national importance.

Quoting an example, he said that with the efforts of state government and cooperation of people, the monthly average of gender ratio has touched 937 which was around 840 before the launch of Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao programme. Now the gender ratio in maximum districts was more than 900 girls over 1,000 boys. We will soon touch the figure of 950, the CM added.

Expressing concern over the status of malnutrition, Khattar said that though the state has ample resources yet there is a need to generate awareness about various programmes being implemented by the government for the prevention of malnutrition among children.

Emphasising the need to activate all units at grass root level for maximum awareness, he exhorted the deputy commissioners and others present to ensure participation of Panchayati Raj Institutions  for proper implementation and monitoring of all such programmes to achieve desired results.

The government would also set up a separate cell at state level for monitoring purposes so that Haryana would become malnutrition free in real terms in coming three years, the CM added.

Khattar said that Panjiri made of fortified flour was already being given in Anganwari Centres. Now we have also decided to provide other items of fortified flour in these centres in the first phase.

The government had also launched a pilot project in Barara and Naraingarh blocks for distributing fortified wheat flour to tackle malnutrition in women and children. This practice would be replicated in other parts of state. In addition, it was also decided to provide one litre fortified edible oil to BPL families on subsidised rates.