UP GOVT’S DESI GHEE BOOST TO CHECK MALNUTRITION
Home minister says Mamata, too, will chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ after Bengal elections
The Uttar Pradesh government has been providing ‘desi ghee’ and powder milk to extremely malnourished children up to five years of age along with pregnant women and lactating mothers from December 2020. The beneficiaries registered with Anganvadi Centres will be given a fixed amount of ‘desi ghee’ and powder milk every three months, besides monthly dry ration under the nutrition mission of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), said a senior officer of the Women and Child Welfare Department.
The scheme has been launched with an aim to improve the beneficiaries’ nutrition, health and education and also for their physical and mental development. According to an official, “Extremely malnourished children up to five years of age will be provided 900 grams ‘desi ghee’ and 750 grams of powder milk every three months. These children will also be given 1.5 kg of rice and 2.5 kg of wheat every month.” Whereas, lactating mothers, pregnant women and non-school going girls (11-14) will be given 450 grams ‘desi ghee’ and 750 grams powder milk every three months. Dry ration, including 1kg rice, 2kg wheat and 750 grams daal will also be given to them every month, he added.
A survey was carried out in Varanasi to identify pregnant women and lactating mothers as the department already has data of extremely malnourished children. The survey identified 30,000 women, including needy pregnant and lactating mothers. All these women were registered with anganvadi centres so that they could get the ‘desi ghee’ and powder milk free of cost under the nutrition mission, the officer added.
In November 2020, there were 3,118 extremely malnourished children in the district. The District programme officer says, “The mission to provide the food stuff to the beneficiaries is aimed at improving their health and to ensure proper mental and physical development of the children.”
KOLKATA: The Centre will enforce the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, after the drive for vaccination against the coronavirus disease gets over in the country, Union home minister Amit Shah said in West Bengal on Thursday, reaching out to an influential refugee community that is credited with helping his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put up an impressive show in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
On a day-long visit to the state, which is headed for assembly elections this summer, Shah sharpened his attack on chief minister Mamata Banerjee, said she would start chanting the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan by the time polls were over, accused her of misleading people on CAA, dismissed criticism that the legislation was meant to target Muslims, and assured the Dalit Matua community of his government’s commitment to implementing the law that fast-tracks citizenship of Hindus, Sikhs,
Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis who have arrived in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before 2015.
“We promised in 2019 that we will amend the citizenship law and asked the Matua community to support us in the Lok Sabha polls. They did not fail us. We kept our word and passed the law (in December 2019), but the country was hit by the pandemic. Mamata Banerjee campaigned that we were making false promises. She said she will stop the law from being enforced in Bengal. Today, I promise that the law will be enforced once vaccination is done and corona is gone,” he said at a rally at Thakurnagar in North 24-Parganas.
Thakurnagar is part of the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat that the BJP won in 2019 by fielding Matua leader Shantanu Thakur against his aunt and then incumbent Mamata Bala Thakur, who was a candidate of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). In all, the BJP won 18 of the state’s 42 seats. Now, it aims to overthrow the TMC government by winning over 200 of the state’s 294 assembly seats in the elections due in April-May.
Originally from East Pakistan, Matuas, who are Hindus, came to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Analysts say the Dalit Namasudra community, with an estimated population of three million, can influence poll results in around 80 assembly seats. The Matuas are a part of this community. Shah’s message on CAA is seen an attempt to address an unease that has set in among a section of Matuas due to the delay in the implementation of the legislation.
Shah said CM Banerjee will not be in a position to oppose CAA in future as she will lose her post after the polls. Critics of the law, including Banerjee, argue that CAA is discriminatory against Muslims and links citizenship to religion in a secular country. “I want to assure our Muslim brothers that they will not lose citizenship because of this law. The law does not take away citizenship rights. Not a single Muslim will be affected. The law has no such provision,” Shah said.
“Once in power, we will free Bengal of all infiltrators in five years,” he added.
Banerjee hit back. Addressing a large number of NGOs and social welfare organisations in Kolkata, she said she will not allow CAA and the National Register of Citizens, an exercise against illegal citizens. “My backward class friends include not just the Matuas but people from all groups and sub-castes. I seek your support in this election. Please save Bengal. I do not make promises like the Centre. I deliver. Commitments are my credential...,” she said.
Referring to Shah’s visit, she said: “All are welcome in Bengal. But things he said, the vulgar words he used… do not suit the home minister. You can insult me but you can’t ignore me.”