New Delhi: Niti Aayog has lauded Odisha’s Keonjhar district for its ‘Take Home Ration Good Practices’.
In its latest report, “Take Home Ration Good Practices Across the States/UT’s, the Niti Aayog has lauded the Keonjhar model and stated that it is a unique model in the country with decentralized production, procurement, processing, supply and consumption of millets.
The Odisha Government has introduced ragi ladoo in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts since July, 2020 as morning snacks for the preschool children (3-6 yrs) covered under ICDS. As the COVID protocols are in place, pre-cooked ragi ladoo mix is provided via home delivery.
The provisions are over and above the existing entitlements under SNP. Premix for ragi ladoo is prepared by the SHGs with technical support from Millets Mission and is supplied to the AWCs for the supply of ladoo to the children.
The core objective of the programme is to improve the nutritional status of pre-school children and revive the ageold traditional culture of millet consumption once prevalent among the tribal communities of Keonjhar. The initiative has provided an additional source of income to women’s SHGs, an assured price to farmers for ragi and a boost to local production of ragi and other millets.
With this historic step, Keonjhar became the first district in the state to include millets under ICDS. This is also a unique model in the country with decentralized production, procurement, processing, supply and consumption of millets. Taking into account, the successful implementation of the programme; it is now proposed to scale up the programme in the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) districts in the state, the Niti Aayog report said.
Keonjhar Collector Ashish Thakare has expressed his happiness over the Niti Aayog report.