Telangana, Andhra Pradesh rift hits baby food supply

Hyderabad: The implementation of the “Balamrutham” scheme in AP was affected when the AP Foods Company, which supplies the nutritious  food, was taken over by the TS government. 

The undivided AP government’s ‘Balamrutham’ scheme, was meant for children aged between 3 to 6 months. AP Foods Company, located in Telangana, was supplying nutritious food for the scheme.

After bifurcation, the TS government has done away with some institutions, including AP Foods. The TS government’s argument is that the state-level institutions set up by the undivided AP government should be shared by residuary AP and TS governments on a ‘location’ basis.

After taking over AP Foods, the TS government has changed its name to Telangana Foods. The baby food is prepared with roasted wheat flour, roasted Bengal gram flour, skimmed milk powder, sugar, refined palmolien oil and fortificants like vitamins and minerals  at 50 per cent Recommended Dietary Allowance as per  Central government norms.

Each unit pack of 2.5 kg each is filled in a 2-layer laminated flexi pouch as a take-home ration and each pack meets the requirement of one child for a month at 100 grams for 25 days.

In AP there are 17.22 lakh children between 7 months to 36 months and the scheme is implemented through 257 Integrated Child Development Services projects. The state government has estimated that for implementation of the Balamrutham scheme, 43, 58, 927 metric tonnes of weaning food is required.

Special Commissioner, Women Development and Child Welfare K.R.B.H.N. Chakravarthi said that they are planning to revive this scheme from April 1. He said the state government is going to set up its own AP Foods in the state and till that time, they will procure the food from private companies.

Mr Chakravarthi said that due to taking over of AP Foods by the TS government, the supply was stopped and the implementation of Balamrutham scheme was affected.