The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 168 new anganwadi centres in Kancheepuram district

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 15, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

168 new anganwadi centres in Kancheepuram district

Staff Reporter

ICDS centres in the district looking after 42,000 children: official

TAMBARAM : One hundred and sixty-eight new anganwadis, to look after children between 6 months and 3 years, will start functioning in Kancheepuram district from Independence Day onwards. These centres provide them with nutritious food and appropriate training on reaching school-going age.

These new anganwadis would soon have their own buildings to be provided by the District Rural Development Agency, according to V.R.Jayalakshmi, Project Officer, Integrated Child Development Scheme, Kancheepuram district. She was talking to reporters during the valedictory function of the programmes organised by Kancheepuram district in connection with the `breast feeding awareness week,' held at Adambakkam on Monday evening.

At present there were 1,928 anganwadis, also known as ICDS centres, in the district and 42,000 children in the age group between 6 months and 3 years were being looked after, Ms. Jayalakshmi said.

On the breast-feeding awareness week activities in the district, the official said they had carried out an intensive campaign in all the 15 blocks, reaching out to pregnant women and mothers of just-born babies.

At present, 11,000 ante-natal care (pregnant) women and 9,000 post-natal care mothers in rural areas, particularly from poor families, regularly visit the ICDS centres in the district. These women are given 100 grams of supplementary food every day.

Pregnant women and mothers of just-born babies are told that children should be only breast-fed till the child is six months and should not be even given sugar water.

They are also creating awareness among women and the public on the provisions of the Infant Milk Substitutes Act, amended in 2003.

Ms. Jayalakshmi said consumption of infant milk substitutes should not be encouraged in any form and there were provisions to punish those who violated the Act.

Alandur Municipal Chairman, R.S. Bharathi also took part in the function.

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