Shimla, Jan 14 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government will formulate a nutrition policy for the state to ensure availability of nutritious food for all vulnerable groups, including children, adolescent girls, and expectant and lactating mothers, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday.
Chairing a review meeting of the Directorate of Health Safety and Regulations here, he also announced strengthening nutritional surveillance in the hill state.
Food items would be tested, and their nutritional content would be profiled and mapped, the chief minister said.
According to the chief minister, regional laboratories would be set up in Baddi, Mandi, Kangra and Shimla in the first phase to ensure quality and timely testing of food items.
Similar laboratories would be set up in all remaining districts in the second phase, he said, adding that the composite testing laboratory at Kandaghat would be upgraded with high-end technology to ensure precise analysis and greater efficiency.
The directorate has been instructed to carry out regular testing of food provided under the public distribution system, Anganwadi services, mid-day meal and other such schemes.
Sukhu said mobile vans would be used for testing, spreading awareness, capacity building and training.
To make departmental functioning more efficient and time-bound, the chief minister instructed officials to develop a portal for the digital execution of all activities, including food sample collection and test results.
“The state government will formulate a nutrition policy for the state to ensure availability of nutritious food for all vulnerable groups, including children, adolescent girls, and expectant and lactating mothers,” Sukhu said, adding that a state nutrition database would also be created.
Expressing concern over deficiencies in nutritional content and the presence of pesticides in food, he said the state government was working on effective solutions to these issues.
In this context, he added that the government was promoting natural farming by providing farmers with benefits under various schemes. PTI BPL NSD NSD
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