Pada Pushti Karyakram

Description
The “Pada Pushti Karyakram PPK ” has been launched by the Department of Women & Child Development, Government of Odisha, to ensure access to supplementary nutrition by all children, residing in hard-to-reach villages where there is no Anganwadi centers. As part of this programme preschool children aged 3-6 years residing in hard-to-reach villages and currently not accessing the spot feeding programme that runs at the Anganwadi center shall be provided with both morning snacks and hot cook meals at their village location. The Pada Pushti Karyakram is functioning as an extension of respective Anganwadi Centers AWCs in the hard-to-reach villages. Objectives: The primary objective of Pada Pushti Karyakram are as follows: - Improve access to entitlement: To ensure that that all preschool children aged 3-6 years in the hard-to-reach villages have access to mandated Supplementary Nutrition entitlements. - Increased uptake and utilization: To improve coverage and utilization of ICDS services among children of nutritionally vulnerable communities. - Community Participation: To enhance awareness among mothers and community members on nutrition services and promote proper maternal and child nutrition practices in hard-toreach villages. Identification of hard-to-reach villages: The following criteria shall be followed for identification of villages for hard-to-reach villages for this programmе - The pada/village that does not have its own Anganwadi Center and located more than two kilometers from the tagged center and there is geographic barrier for communication. - Forest villages not having an Anganwadi Center. - There should be at least 5 or more children between the age group of 3 years to 6 years to run Pada Pusti Karyakram. In case the number of children comes down below 5, the program would be discontinued in that village and may be moved to another village.

Exclusions
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Benefits
• Incentive for Pushti Sakhi:
• Pushti Sakhi will be given a monthly lumpsum incentive of ₹1,000/-.

Eligibility Criteria
1. The beneficiary must be a resident of Odisha.
2. The beneficiary must be a child aged between 3 and 6 years.
3. The beneficiary must be residing in an identified hard-to-reach village where no Anganwadi Centre is available.
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Required Documents
• Identity proof (Aadhaar Card, etc.)
• Date of Birth Certificate
• Any Other Documents (as per requirement)

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Pada Pushti Karyakrama?
A: Pada Pushti Karyakrama is a special nutrition programme in Odisha to provide supplementary nutrition such as hot cooked meals and morning snacks to children aged 3 - 6 years living in remote and hard-to-reach villages that do not have Anganwadi Centres.
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Q: Who are the beneficiaries of this programme?
A: Children aged 3-6 years residing in hamlets or villages that are remote/hard-to-reach and where access to regular Anganwadi services is limited or unavailable.
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Q: How is the food provided to the children?
A: Food is provided through spot feeding at the village level, including hot cooked meals and morning snacks, prepared locally by community members or designated workers.
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Q: Who prepares and distributes the meals?
A: The meals are typically prepared and distributed by Mother Groups or a designated Pushti Sakhi/volunteer at the hamlet level through community participation.
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Q: How frequently are meals provided?
A: Meals are typically served six days a week, similar to the regular SNP pattern, to ensure regular nutrition intake.
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Q: What types of food are included?
A: The meals include a combination of hot cooked foods (e.g., rice with dal/vegetables) and nutritious morning snacks appropriate for children aged 3-6 years as per the guidelines.
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Q: How are beneficiaries identified?
A: Eligible children are identified based on their age (3-6 years) and residence in hard-to-reach villages/hamlets that lack an Anganwadi centre.
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Q: What defines a “hard-to-reach” village?
A: Villages are defined as “hard-to-reach” if they do not have an Anganwadi Centre nearby and face geographical or access barriers that prevent children from attending regular services.
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Q: Are growth measurements of children taken?
A: Yes, growth monitoring including height and weight measurements is carried out periodically at nearby Anganwadi Centres.
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