Conducts Annaprashan Ceremony for Infants and Distributes Nutrition Kits to Mothers under Women & Child Development Department
Published on: November 06, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
Vice President Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan attended the Lakhpati Didi Sammelan held at the State High School ground in Rajnandgaon on Thursday. The event was also attended by Governor Shri Ramen Deka, Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Dr. Raman Singh, School Education Minister Shri Gajendra Yadav, Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, and several public representatives.
During his visit to the Su-Shasan Path, the Vice President inspected various departmental stalls. At the stall of the Women and Child Development Department, he reviewed the implementation of the district’s special nutrition initiative “Potth Laika”, aimed at improving child health and reducing malnutrition. Officials explained the activities, community outreach efforts, and outcomes achieved under the initiative.
On this occasion, the Vice President performed the Annaprashan (first solid feeding ceremony) of infants and participated in the Godh Bharai (traditional blessing ceremony for pregnant women). He also distributed nutrition kits to beneficiaries, encouraging sustained health and nutrition awareness among families.
The Potth Laika initiative is being implemented jointly by the Health Department, Women and Child Development Department, and NRLM, with technical training support from UNICEF. After receiving intensive counseling training, field-level officers have been conducting weekly “Palak Chaupal” sessions every Thursday at targeted Anganwadi centers, involving parents, newly married women, pregnant mothers, self-help group members, and community leaders.
Also read- https://www.btnewsindia.com/vice-president-c-p-radhakrishnan-inaugurates-₹5-crore-eye-care-institute-in-rajnandgaon/ https://www.btnewsindia.com/hamar-swasth-laika-programme-honored-at-rajyotsav-2025-for-excellence-in-nutrition-and-child-health/
Due to consistent community participation and behavioral awareness, the initiative achieved significant results in the first six months, bringing 65.58% (2,136 out of 3,413) targeted malnourished children out of malnutrition—a notable achievement because the initiative required zero additional cost, relying solely on counseling, community engagement, and continuous monitoring.
A third-party impact study conducted by the Behaviour Insight Unit of NIT Raipur also reported encouraging results. Since October 2024, the CSR wing of ABIS Export Group has joined the campaign by supporting supplementary nutrition under the Augmented Take Home Ration program. Observing its success, the initiative was expanded district-wide in June 2025 to cover 9,751 malnourished children, of which 2,295 children have already improved by September.
Dignitaries present included Mayor Shri Madhusudan Yadav, District Panchayat President Smt. Kiran Vaishnav, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Labour Welfare Board Shri Yogeshdatt Mishra, former MP Shri Pradeep Gandhi, along with senior officials including Commissioner Shri Satyanarayan Rathore, I.G. Shri Abhishek Shandilya, Collector Shri Jitendra Yadav, SP Smt. Ankita Sharma, CEO Zila Panchayat Smt. Suruchi Singh, and District Programme Officer WCD Smt. Gurpreet Kaur.
