Odisha Speaker asks Dy CM to make statement on quality of food item in Anganwadi centres

NEW DELHI: Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Saturday directed Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida to come up with a statement on actions taken against agencies providing inferior quality ‘Chhatua’ (a food item) to children in Anganwadi centres. The Speaker directed Parida to make a statement in the House about programmes undertaken to check the quality of the food item during the last five years and actions taken against the erring supplying agencies.

Parida also holds the portfolio of Women and Child Development Department,. The Speaker's direction came after several MLAs alleged that poor quality ‘Chhatua’ are being distributed to children in Anganwadi centres under a supplementary nutrition programme.

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BJP MLA Padmalochan Panda alleged that sub-standard ‘Chhatua’ was distributed to the children by the previous BJD government during the last 24 years and the suppliers have become crorepaties. Panda demanded engagement of new suppliers while removing the existing agencies.

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Senior Congress legislator Taraprasad Bahinipati said Chhatua is being supplied to the children as a nutritional food but no one is ready to take it as the quality is poor. He urged the government to supply some alternative nutritional food to the children. In her reply, the deputy chief minister said the quality of Chhatua will be checked across the state and the report will be submitted to the House.