Maa-Beti Mela organized in Hailakandi to boost Nutritional drive.

As part of Poshan Maah, a Maa-Beti Mela was held in Hailakandi district on Wednesday.

Inaugurating the Maa-Beti Mela at the premises of 244 No. Ujan Madhabpur LP School located in a remote area, 60 kms away from district headquarters, Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli said the month-long nutrition drive is on in the nook and cranny of the district to make it malnutrition-free, healthy and strong. She said as women are the backbone in the journey to the nutrition of family and society, these steps to focus on Maa and Beti are being taken up.

“Eliminating anemia is the top priority of the administration”, Jalli said, adding that the nutrition drive would be stepped up in the days ahead.

Speaking on the unique initiative of “Dibbi Adaan Pradaan” she said that this pilot was initiated in Hailakandi to make use of traditional local recipes. It is often found that children don’t prefer food prepared in their homes and prefer other food. Under Har Ghar Poshan Vyahar, in a two bird one shot of involving the community and promoting nutrition. Mothers are being requested to cook and bring their homemade food which is being exchanged with other children and thus a Reang recipe is being tried out by a Bengali and vice versa is an example of seamless coexistence. Recipes are being shared by the mothers for diversification of cooking styles to appeal to nutritional needs of children. This move has been found to be highly effective as it has developed a healthy competition in innovative cooking by mothers in turn benefiting in developing an appetite for healthy home food by the children.

The Deputy Commissioner urged everyone to take leafy vegetables and locally available fruits to remain strong and healthy especially with unique local alternatives like Amla Candies. She also appealed to the girls who attained puberty to use sanitary pads and to discard cloths that can cause infections.

Amla saplings were specifically ditributed to SAM/MAM children in line with the hugely popular Amla candy initiative. Jalli appealed to them to nurture the trees as their own children and feed the fruits to their children.

Subdivisional Agriculture Officer, AR Ahmed, SDO (C), Katlicherra, James Aind, Joint Director, Health Services, Dr.Abed Rasul Ahmed, District Social Welfare Officer, J Daimari, District Information and Public Relations Officer, Sabir Nishat, Dr.Subrata Dey and officials of concerned departments were present on the occasion.

Earlier, DC Jalli offered wholesome nutritious diet to pregnant women in a ceremonial baby shower and Anna Prasanna

She went around the various stalls put up by health, public health engineering departments on handwashing, SHGs of ASRLM who made healthy foods and put up on sale, ASDM, mahila village organisations, Childline and ICDS, Hailakandi.

Jalli also flagged off the Poshan Rath in the presence of officials and dignitaries.

Colourful cultural programmes and yoga demonstration were also organised which gave a carnival-like atmosphere.