‘Breastfeeding can save lives of children’

BHUBANESWAR: “Breastfeeding can save lives of children as it is regarded as the best tool to fight with malnutrition,” said the experts in a State-level workshop organised by the Child Health Now (CHN)-Odisha to observe World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) here on Monday.

According to the third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), 40 per cent children of the State are coming under weight category and it can be addressed by promoting and propagating breastfeeding by creating awareness among the family members of pregnant and lactating mothers in the State.

The participants discussed about this year’s theme of the WBW ‘Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers’ in the workshop and highlighted the benefits of breastfeeding. The experts advised the mothers to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of child birth, exclusive breastfeeding up to six months, complementary feeding after six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years and beyond.

CHN-Odisha announced that it would organise State wide campaign to promote the cause for the betterment maternal and child health in the society. Soumya Ranjan Pattnaik, Unicef’s nutrition consultant Farida Sultana, development consultant Rupali Kar, CHN Odisha convener Gournaga Mohapatra spoke in the workshop. More than 150 lactating women, NGO representatives, PRI members, adolescent girls, service providers like AWW, ANM, ASHA participated in the program.

Notably, the Annual Health Survey (2010-11) report which was released last year said that only around 24.8 per cent of the lactating mothers in the State adhere to exclusive breastfeeding over the prescribed six months. The State had been ranked 7th position in the country for initiating breastfeeding within one hour of child birth with 54.8 percent and ranked 12th in exclusive breastfeeding within six months having only 50.2 per cent.

Follow hygienic norms in SNP: Chief Secy

--Collectors directed to expedite construction of AWC buildings

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra directed all the Collectors to ensure hygienic norms in food items supplied through supplementary nutrition programme (SNP). The Collectors have also been asked to expedite construction of Anganwadi Centre (AWC) buildings and to complete those in time for sourcing further funds.

State Women and Child Development department secretary Arati Ahuja attending the video conference at the Secretariat here appraised the Collectors about revised guidelines for supply of supplementary nutrition for children in AWC, for children of six months to three years, severely malnourished children from six months to three years and for pregnant and lactating mothers. Ahuja also said the collectors about safety measures to be followed in local procurement of food items, their storage, testing the quality of cooked meal before they are served to children.

During the discussion, the department officials said that money has been sanctioned for construction of 12000 AWC in different ICDS areas across the State out of which 8000 were under grants of 13th Finance Commission and 4000 AWC would be built from State’s own fund.

The revised and comprehensive guidelines for SNP and food safety in AWCs have already been sent to all the Collectors and CDPOs. As per the revised guidelines children in AWC will be given egg curry thrice in a week on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Similarly, the normal children from six months to three years will be served two boiled eggs at AWC on Wednesday and Saturday of the week. Severely malnourished children from six months to three years will get two boiled eggs one each on Wednesday and Saturday along with one packet of Rasi Ladoo of 100 gm weight per month. Pregnant and lactating mothers will be given two boiled eggs to be consumed at AWC one each on Wednesday and Saturday.

It has been made clear to all the Collectors and CDPOs that the cook or helper and one school management committee (SMC) member will eat the cooked food at least half an hour before it is served to children at AWC.

Ahuja has made it clear that the officer lifting the rice and wheat from godown must satisfy himself that it is good quality. The transport agents will be delivered the rice at each AWC point for one month and the quantity and quality of rice will be verified by Janch committee and mothers committee members at the time of delivery of goods at AWC point.

The Collectors have been asked to look in to these matters personally through strict and regular monitoring on regular basis for ensuring food safety and quality in interest of small children and mothers.

BJP gherao Cuttack DM office on Aug 6

BHUBANESWAR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would stage demonstration in front of the Collector’s office at Cuttack on August 6 protesting police atrocity on party workers on Saturday. It was decided by the Cuttack unit of the BJP at a Press meet here on Sunday.  

They would also protest the State Government’s failure to control law and order situation in the millennium city along with the State. In view of the increasing dengue cases in Cuttack, they would also demand the State Government to take immediate measures to check the decease.

The party said that they would organise demonstrations across the State protesting State Government’s autocratic rule and carelessness attitude to deal with the public. “As the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is not doing anything to solve the civic problems, it should be dissolved and we would demand for this during the agitation,” said BJP leader Samir De.     

State to fill up 800 Govt lecturer posts in 3 months

BHUBANESWAR: Finally after a long gap of 12 years, the State Government decided to fill up of 800 posts of lecturers in 97 Government colleges within three months ahead of general election. This was decided in a review meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat here on Saturday.

According to Higher Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra, recruitment process for 535 posts has already begun and the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) was asked to select the deserving candidates. Among these 535 posts, 272 are for junior colleges and 281 are for degree colleges, Patra added.

Though the recent fill up of lecture posts are not enough to meet the acute shortage of teachers in the colleges, it will give sigh of relief to the student mass. “Still most of the posts of science lecturers lied vacant in the several colleges in the State,” said the sources.    

During this meeting Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra, Development Commissioner I Shrinivas, Higher Education Secretary Gagan Bihari Dhal and others were present.

Miscreants brutally attack bus driver in city

--Goons, gangsters on the rise in city

BHUBANESWAR: In a daring act, the armed miscreants brutally attacked a bus driver in the heart of the city on Saturday morning after chasing him behind. The severely injured driver was referred to the SCB Medical College and hospital at Cuttack for further treatment.

Victim Purnendu Samal (40) of Nayapalli area in the city was viciously attacked by three miscreants at around 7.40 am on Saturday in front of a tea stall near Red Cross Bhavan here. When Samal was returning after dropping school children, the three ruffians chased him and attacked with a sharp weapon.

The miscreants went on hitting Samal in the middle of the road and also threatened the locals who later came for the rescue of the driver. When a person present over there called the police, the miscreants chased him to attack.

The police rushed the spot after getting information from the public, but can’t find the miscreants who had already fled from the spot. The locals took the injured driver to the hospital.

Police said that a preliminary inquiry into the case suggested that the murder was outcome of an old dispute. “Due to previous enmity, the miscreants attacked Samal,” said the police sources, adding, “They are searching various places to arrest the accused.”

Two days ago, an unidentified person had reportedly entered to the Nayapalli police station with a sharp weapon in his hand and attacked police personnel in wee hour of the day.

The increasing crime incidents created an environment of terror in the city. Three firing cases within a month and freely available mousers and pistols in the capital raised eye brow on the intelligence system of the police. Goons and gangsters are on the rise in the city throwing an open challenge to the police, said the senior citizens of the city.         

“Samal ran for her life on a public road but was chased and brutally attacked in full public view here created question mark on the security system of the Commissionerate Police,” said Sanjay Pattanayak of the Satyanagar in the city.