A malnutrition eradication campaign is currently underway in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district. During this campaign, Balod Collector Divya Umesh Mishra did something that won everyone’s hearts. She adopted two malnourished girls — Kumari Himanshi of Chichbod and Kumari Tejasvi of village Parsoda — taking full responsibility for their proper care so as to bring them into the well-nourished category.
On Monday, Collector Divya Umesh Mishra met malnourished children and their families in her chamber at the Joint District Office. During this time, she took both girls in her lap and lovingly gave them biscuits and toffees. Malnourished girl Himanshi is two and a half years old and Tejasvi is 4 years old. Divya Mishra also gathered essential information from the mothers and families of the malnourished children about the children’s diet and proper upbringing so they can be brought into the normal category.
ZP CEO adopts Pushpraj and Prince
Chief Executive Officer of the District Panchayat, Sunil Chandravanshi, has also adopted two malnourished boys — Pushpraj and Prince Thakur — taking on the responsibility of their proper care to make them malnutrition-free. Pushpraj is 3 years old and Prince Thakur is 1.5 years old. District Program Officer of the Women and Child Development Department Sameer Pandey, District Child Protection Officer Gajanand Sahu and other officers and employees were present during this time.
MP, MLAs also adopt malnourished children
On 4 September, during a meeting of the Mineral Trust Institute held in the Collectorate’s conference hall, under the ongoing malnutrition eradication campaign in the district, Member of Parliament Bhojraj Nag, MLA from Dondi Lohara Anila Bhedia, MLA from Sanjari Balod Sangeeta Sinha and District Panchayat President Tarni Pushpendra Chandrakar each adopted a malnourished child to ensure their proper care and nutrition.
“Take responsibility for proper care by adopting malnourished children”
Collector Divya Mishra has directed the District Program Officer of the Women and Child Development Department to prepare a work plan in this regard and assign each district-level officer responsibility for one malnourished child’s care. She also instructed block-level officers to ensure arrangements for the proper care of malnourished children in their respective development blocks. She has directed all officers adopting malnourished children to ensure the provision of nutritious food, fruits, eggs, milk, jaggery, etc., and to regularly monitor them.
Formation of “Mission God” Block-Level Committee
On the instructions of Collector Divya Mishra, a “Mission God” (Adoption Mission) block-level committee has been formed to make Balod district malnutrition-free. District Program Officer of the Women and Child Development Department Sameer Pandey stated that under Mission God, district-level officers and public representatives will adopt malnourished children aged 6 months to 3 years in the district to ensure arrangements for their care and to bring them into the well-nourished category. He added that in the Mission God block-level committee, the Sub-Divisional Officer will be the committee’s president. Similarly, the Project Officer of the Women and Child Development Department will be the member secretary, while the Block Medical Officer, Chief Executive Officer of the Janpad Panchayat, and Block Education Officer will be members of the committee.
