Centre planning to launch Poshan Abhiyan to tackle malnutrition among elderly population

The government is planning to launch 'Poshan Abhiyan' to provide nutrition support to the indigent elderly population not staying in old age homes and are victims of severe malnutrition, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said on Tuesday. Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria said in the Lok Sabha that the scheme will focus on procuring locally available healthy food material and serving mid-day meals to the elderly.

"The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment aims to launch Poshan Abhiyan for the elderly, to provide nutrition support to the indigent elders, who are not staying in Old Age Homes and are victims of severe malnutrition, by focusing on procuring locally available healthy food material and serving hot-cooked mid-day meals," he said in a written reply.

"The gram panchayats and urban municipalities are the implementing agencies of the scheme. The funding for the scheme is from the Senior Citizens Welfare Fund," he added.