The Telangana government has extended the KCR Nutrition Kit scheme for pregnant women, which was introduced as a pilot project in nine districts last year, to the entire State.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao signed a file on this decision immediately after occupying his chambers in the new Secretariat on Sunday. The government issued an order according administrative sanction of ₹273.327 crore for the implementation of the scheme in all 33 districts of the State.
The KCR Nutrition Kit scheme is aimed at reducing anaemia and improving haemoglobin levels in pregnant women. Each kit contains 1 kg nutritional mix powder, 1 kg dates, three bottles of iron syrup, 500 grams of ghee and a cup.
Now, the scheme aims to distribute 13.08 lakh kits to 6.84 lakh pregnant women through 1,046 centres in all 33 districts. The cost of each kit is ₹2,000. These will be distributed during the second anti-natal check-up of pregnant women in 14 to 26 week period and again in third ANC check-up in 27 to 34 week period.
The government was already implementing the scheme for lactating mothers. Buoyed by the success, it launched the pilot project of Nutrition Kit distribution.
While thanking the Chief Minister for this initiative, Health Minister T. Harish Rao said, in a release, that steps taken by the government had reduced the maternal mortality rate from 92 in 2014 to 43 at present. The State ranked third in the country in bringing down the maternal mortality rate and extension of KCR Nutrition Kit to the entire State would help in bringing it down further.
