Lucknow, May 31 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government's campaign to eradicate malnutrition from the state, is not only providing food to scores of malnourished children, but is also providing employment to over 63,000 women associated with self-help groups in villages.

According to the government spokesman, women members of self-help groups operating under the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission are engaged in the drive to eradicate malnutrition from the state.

The self-help groups are procuring and packaging dry ration consisting of wheat, rice, gram, pulses and edible oil from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) in all the development blocks of the state's 75 districts.

Dry rations are being distributed from 1,64,714 Anganwadi centres to a total of 1,47,99,150 beneficiaries including children aged six months to three years and three to six-year-old; pregnant and lactating women; malnourished children; and teenage girls.

About 6,30,000 women have got employment through the dry ration project launched by the government.

The state government is also taking all necessary steps to improve the health of malnourished mothers, children and girls during the ongoing pandemic.

The government has entrusted the Child Development Services and Nutrition Department with this responsibility.

Anganwadi workers and members of self-help groups have been engaged in distribution of nutritious food to malnourished children and pregnant women while online monitoring of the distribution is also being done.

The state government is also setting up production units in altogether 204 development blocks of 43 districts of the state under the 'Recipe for best take home ration' scheme.

Around 15 to 20 women will prepare the recipe and distribute it at Anganwadi centres.

In the first phase of the scheme, a production unit was set up at Malwan, the development block of Fatehpur, as well as Bighapur in Unnao.

In the remaining 202 development blocks, a production unit will be set up soon.

Each unit will employ 15 to 20 women with their number reaching 3060 and also increase their income.

The Yogi Adityanath government recently released the required funds for distributing nutritious food to malnourished children for three months amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Cereals, pulses, ghee and milk powder are distributed to malnourished children and pregnant women.