Pune: The Central Government has launched the Suposhit Grampanchayat campaign to improve child nutrition and Anganwadi facilities in rural areas.

As part of this initiative, 1,000 village panchayats across India will receive ₹1 lakh each to enhance nutrition programs and childcare services. A total of 2,750 village panchayats from Maharashtra have joined the campaign, with 163 panchayats from Pune district meeting the eligibility criteria.

The Pune Zilla Parishad has set an ambitious target of ensuring that at least 75 of these panchayats secure the ₹1 lakh grant by meeting the required nutrition and infrastructure improvement standards.

Selection Criteria and Process

To qualify for the national-level selection, panchayats were evaluated based on data from the Nutrition Tracker for September and October 2024. The key criteria for selection included:

• Anganwadis being operational for at least 21 days per month

• A minimum of 50 children receiving preschool education and nutritional meals

• Availability of essential facilities such as drinking water, toilets, and height-weight measurement equipment

Evaluation System: 100-Point Scale

The final selection of 1,000 village panchayats across India will be conducted by the Central Government based on their performance over the next six months (until May 2025). Panchayats will be assessed on a 100-point scale, with marks allocated for improvements in nutrition tracking, infrastructure, and the overall impact on child health.

Government Committee to Visit Villages for Inspection

The Suposhit Grampanchayat initiative will involve on-ground inspections to evaluate the efforts made by panchayats to combat child malnutrition. Anganwadi workers will be responsible for updating the Nutrition Tracker with crucial data, including:

• The number of children successfully brought out of malnutrition

• Nutritional support provided to lactating mothers and children

• Infrastructure development and dietary diversity

• A joint committee from the Central and State Governments will conduct village visits to verify the reported progress. Following these assessments, the final list of 1,000 winning panchayats will be announced.

The Pune District Administration is working proactively to ensure that at least 75 panchayats from the district are among the 1,000 selected at the national level. To facilitate this, ZP Chief Executive Officer Gajanan Patil will conduct a meeting with all selected village heads to guide them on the necessary steps to qualify for the award.

"We are committed to ensuring that our panchayats perform well in this campaign. Our goal is to secure a place for at least 75 village panchayats from Pune district in the national list of 1,000. We are actively working towards this objective."

– Jamsing Girase, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Pune ZP