Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Times of India
The Times of India
National
TimesOfIndia

Poor in Pilibhit to get stray milch cows for 'nutrition of children'

PILIBHIT: Pilibhit district magistrate (DM) Pulkit Khare has started an innovative programme for malnourished children where stray milch cows are being provided to poor families for "proper nutrition of kids". Officials have so far identified nearly 50 such cows from shelters and the administration will provide Rs 30 per cow daily to these families to meet the fodder cost.

The initiative, which started last month, is also expected to mitigate stray cattle menace in the district, the DM said, adding that each affected family will get one milch cow for their children.

The facility is being provided at a local level as a supplement to the state's "nutrition mission". Priority is being given to those families deprived of the state-sponsored nutritional diet, an official said.

As per official data, there are around 40% of such kids in the district who are waiting for nutritional quota from the UP government. The official added that till March 31, the district had "2,506 critically malnourished and 17,256 moderately malnourished children aged 0 to 5 years, the permitted age for nutritional aid under the government mission".

"Since 2018, the nutritional quota has been confined to 171,188 beneficiaries. It includes 38,484 lactating mothers and pregnant women, 81,911 children aged six months to three years and 50,793 children (age group of three to five years). The quota has actually fallen short by 40% and this gap is widening every year with population growth," said Arvind Kumar, district programme officer. The DM further said that they are "striving to fill the gap by launching a supplementary scheme for easy availability of high protein diets." He added: "There will be a regular check of the animal's health by a designated team which would include a state veterinary doctor."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.