Speaker asks WCD minister to prepare diet chart for pregnant

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday asked Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani to prepare a diet chart for pregnant women and provide it to all members for circulation in their respective constituencies.

"We should make a collective effort to end malnutrition in the country. If we can create a mass movement to end malnutrition in the country...I hope it will be eradicated by the last session of this (17th) Lok Sabha," he said during Question Hour.

He also expected that all MPs will spread mass awareness on this issue in their respective constituencies.

"The minister should make a region-specific diet chart for pregnant women and circulate this to MPs and a collective effort be made in this regard," he said.

In a reply to a question, Irani said quality of food is more important than quantity.

"It is an illusion that malnourishment is only limited to poor families or tribal areas. It is across the country," she said.

It has been reflected by the NITI Aayog data, she said, adding only 9 per cent of the population is getting right kind of nourishing food.