The Telangana Government will appoint a special functionary, designated as a ‘Poshan Sakhi’, to facilitate regular supply of nutritious food to children at Anganwadi centres.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed officials to examine the feasibility of implementing the initiative on a pilot basis in 29 schools located within the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) area. He instructed them to prepare a detailed report on the proposal in consultation with economist Karthik Muralidharan and submit it to the government.
The proposal to appoint an additional staff member exclusively to oversee the distribution of nutritious food at Anganwadi centres was suggested by Mr. Muralidharan and was immediately accepted by the Chief Minister during their meeting at the Legislative Council Hall on Thursday.
Mr. Reddy reiterated the government’s commitment to providing quality education and adequate nutrition to children by adopting all necessary measures to ensure that every child in the State benefits.
Mr. Muralidharan underscored the long‑term health challenges that may arise due to nutritional deficiencies at an early age. He also drew the CM’s attention to several reports highlighting nutritional deficiencies and learning outcome gaps among children aged 0 to 10 years in Telangana.
The discussions also focused on psychological distress among students resulting from a lack of proper instruction during early childhood, along with possible measures to address these challenges. Mr. Reddy assured that the State government has allocated sufficient funds to provide breakfast in schools, in addition to the existing mid‑day meal scheme.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Women and Child Welfare Minister Seethakka, Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister V. Seshadri, and other senior officials attended the meeting, according to a press release.