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Dimapur, Aug. 18 (EMN): State governments contract either private or public-sector companies or Women’s Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) for the procurement of Take Home Ration (THR) to Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) beneficiaries, according Niti Aayog’s “Take Home Ration” (THR) good practices adopted by the States/UTs, which was published earlier this month.
‘Given the huge amounts of funds used, it is important that the suppliers are selected based on a transparent and well-defined method. While reviewing the various ways in which the state governments are contracting different suppliers, good and innovative practices are identified,’ it was informed.
The report is extremely important to improve and formalise the good practices and to accelerate improvement in the THR value chain, it was informed, adding that ‘the gaps and deficiencies in various models need to be identified to find better solutions and bring efficacy’.
“This document is an effort to collate and present the various improvisations adopted in the implementation of the THR value chain, from formulations to last-mile delivery, by the States and UTs,” the report stated.
As per the report, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were the only states that had quality assurance and quality control, strict action in case of non-compliance as per prescribed parameters and labeling and labeling of packets.
Other states that were featured include Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
It mentioned that the THR is distributed to young children and pregnant and lactating women, and so it is imperative to ensure that the products are safe for consumption. ‘Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are integral parts of the production process’.
‘Despite being a critical step in the production process, not much is known about the measures undertaken by different States/UTs on QA and QC. However, a few have been identified for good practices based on their quality checks of the THR product, and corrective action taken and two of them were Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh,’ said the report.
In Mizoram, for quality control, samples are sent to Food and Nutrition Board Regional Food Testing Laboratory, Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India, in Kolkata for analysis, ensuring that the THR conforms to the national standards.
The state, in case the THR product is found to lack the quality control parameters laid down, they are instructed to comply with the nutritional norms while also ensuring the nutritional food is fit, hygienic, and palatable for consumption. In case of repetition or non-compliance, penal action is taken in which case security deposit is forfeited and contract order cancelled.
In the packaging of THR product, the THR of Arunachal Pradesh contains information like nutritive value, ingredients, shelf life, manufacturing month, manufacturer details, and instruction for preparation method. In addition, it is labeled as specially packed for SNP-Arunachal Pradesh, according to the Niti Aayog report.
THR in Arunachal Pradesh are procured from manufacturers having fully automated plants and technical expertise, thereby ensuring zero contamination, which is crucial for maintaining quality. Packets are properly labeled and information such as the name of the product, nutritive value, instructions for use/preparation for consumption, ingredients, best before, batch number, date of packaging, weight of the product, name of the producer, and address of the producer are clearly indicated. Packets are also labelled with ‘Specially Packed for Supplementary Nutrition Programme, Not for Sale’, it was informed.
The key takeaways from this report was that creation of opportunities for cross-learning between States/UTs for mainstreaming of good and innovative practices was essential with implementation of good practices in THR across the value chain with enhanced coverage, continuity, quality, and intensity.