Madhya Pradesh govt adds eggs to midday meals

Bhopal: Kamal Nath government on Wednesday announced to add egg in midday meal provided to children in anganwadi centres in Madhya Pradesh, inviting criticism from Opposition BJP which described the move as “anti-Hindu religion”.

State women and child welfare minister, Imarti Devi, told reporters here that eggs would be introduced in midday meal offered to children in all the 313 anganwadi Centres under Integrated Child Development Scheme from next month to tackle malnutrition problem.

According to her, the government would go ahead with its plan to add eggs in midday meal provided to children in schools in the state later.

Madhya Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of having largest number of malnutrition-affected children in the country.

According to National Family Health Survey IV, 2016, there are more than 45 lakh underweight and stunted children in the state. Of them, more than 10 lakh are severely underweight.

Opposition BJP, however,  slammed the ‘eggs in midday meal’ plan of the state government, saying that “It is against religion and culture of India”.

“The plan will force families which are vegetarian to keep their malnutrition-affected children out of anganwadi centres, which would worsen the situation further,” state BJP vice-president and MLA Rameswar Sharma said. The previous BJP government had put on hold the plan to introduce eggs in midday meals.