Releases Report – Take Home Ration: Good Practices across the State/Union Territories
NITI Aayog and World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a report titled ‘Take Home Ration-Good Practices across the State/Union Territories’. The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery in the presence of Member (Health) Dr. V.K. Paul and CEO Amitabh Kant.
The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted in the implementation of the Take Home Ration (THR) value chain by the States and UTs. Government of India provides Take Home Ration under the Supplementary Nutrition component of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to fill the gap in nutrition among children as well as pregnant and lactating women (PLW).
Speaking on the occasion, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery said, “There is a need to further strengthen THR program to achieve the nutritional targets in a time-bound manner. This document on good practices compiles and collates innovations in THR programmes in various States and Union Territories. Aspects related to production, formulation, distribution, labelling, packaging, monitoring, quality assurance, social and behavioural change have been reviewed to generate a catalogue of good practices. This document will help State Governments/Union Territories to adopt good practices in their THR programmes.”
As a way forward the report suggests that in order to realize the full potential of the THR, all components of this value chain need to function at optimum. This requires building a robust system for procurement, supply chain management and monitoring that ensures complete transparency, standardized process, sustainability, full coverage, leverages local ties, foster a culture of collaboration and builds trust within a community. These measures improve THR access in rural areas, produce THR with high nutrient value, enhance community ownership involving SHGs and promote income generating activities and female empowerment.