GOALPARA, Sept 24 - In a bid to create awareness against malnutrition among children up to 6 years of age, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers, a Poshan Rath was flagged off on Monday, as a part of celebrations of the month-long Rashtriya Poshan Maah, from the office of the Deputy Commissioner by Varnali Deka, in the presence of around 500 people, including senior officials, Swasth Bharat Prerak of Poshan abhiyan, field-level functionaries, and all the heads of the Line Department. The event is a flagship programme, which is being implemented in the aspirational district of Goalpara, simultaneously with the rest of the country.
The Rath, in order to sensitise and raise awareness, regarding the health and nutritional diets travelled through the streets which has on display placards, banners and chanting slogans, on the five sutras of Poshan Maah, finally ended at the Bihu field of the town.
After the flagging-off ceremony, a distribution ceremony of �growth monitoring devices� in the presence of the entire district team of Poshan Abhiyan was held at the conference hall of the DC�s office where the Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka distributed these devices to the anganwadi workers of Krishnai-Balijana and Matia ICDS projects. Talking to this correspondent, Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka said that the Poshan Maah was inaugurated on September 2 in the district and that she is ensuring coordination of all the departments to make the programme a success in the district. Poshan melas were also organised at Dudhnoi and Rangjuli ICDS projects, she added.
In the Rangjuli ICDS project, events like �annaprashana� ceremony were held to mark the transition from exclusive breast feeding to regular normal food for the infants. �Panchamrit� ceremony, which is feeding of fruits, vegetables and local delicacies to a pregnant woman by her maternal side, was also conducted and this was dovetailed with attractive food stalls, showcasing some local nutritious delicacies prepared hygienically, for promoting traditional healthy nutritious cuisine in the Poshan mela. Around 120 infants were introduced to solid food through the �annaprashana� ceremony and the panchamrit ceremony was held for 20 pregnant women, Deka further informed.
