New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS): From the next summer season, the Delhi government's Child Development Department has planned to replace jaggery with sweet candy (mishri) from its Supplementary Nutrition Food (SNF) menu for children and pregnant and lactating women.

The decision was taken on the basis of feedback that jaggery melts in the summer while packing and after some time it might even get infected by bacteria.

To keep the food items dry and healthy, it was decided to replace jaggery with sweet candy (mishri) and will continue till the present SNF menu exists, while the quantity would be decided by the Department as per requirement.

"From the next summer season (for month of May, June and July) the sweet candy would be distributed in place of jaggery," Delhi Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said here on Sunday.

The Minister said the functioning of the Aganwadi Centres in Delhi, which is responsible for distribution of nutritious food to pregnant women and children, was suspended temporarily in the first week of March this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Anganwadi Centres were renewed last year in March with an aim of ensuring regular supply of nutritional supplements that included "Panjiri or Pushtik Laddoo" to the registered beneficiaries in the national capital.

The laddoos given to per beneficiaries every day contains 500 calories and 12-15 gms of protein.

Gautam informed that the menu of SNF was revised from May 20 this year and Panjiri or Pushtik Laddo was replaced with wheat dalia, black raw gram, jaggery and roasted black gram in different quantities for different types of beneficiaries under the existing system of giving THR (Take Home Ration).

It was delivered at the doorsteps of beneficiaries through the respective Anganwadi centers, the Minister said.

Around five lakh citizens benefit from this scheme.