Closing ceremony of Poshan Pakhwada, 2023 themed ‘Millets for Nutritional Well-beings’ under Namchi District Women and Child Development Department held at the conference hall of the District Administrative Centre, Namchi

Namchi, 4th April(IPR): The closing ceremony of Poshan Pakhwada, 2023 themed ‘Millets for Nutritional Well-beings’ under Namchi District Women and Child Development Department was held at the conference hall of the District Administrative Centre, Namchi, today.
The program had the presence of Mikhola- Singhithang GPU Panchayat (Vice-President) Mrs. Chandra Kala Rai as the chief guest and CMO (Namchi) Dr. D.C Sharma as the guest of honor. Present amongst others were JD(Education) Mr. R.P Sharma, DPO(Poshan)Mr. Laxman Tamang, AD(Nurtition)Mrs. Sophia Lepcha along with other district officials, ICDS supervisors, and Anganwadi workers of Namchi District.
Addressing the gathering, the chief guest Mrs. Chandra Kala Rai extended her gratitude and expressed the importance of celebrating Poshan Pakhwada in the district. She said that the imperative efforts to improve the key nutrition parameters of children and women by the Government of India such as Poshan Pakhwada are pushing the nation into a healthy and disease-free society. Hence, she requested the concerned officials to conduct awareness and other related programs of Poshan Pakhwada in remote areas, so that the deprived ones can easily avail its benefit.
CMO Dr. DC. Sharma in his address spoke about the benefit of healthy eating habits, a balanced diet, and the harmful effects of the consumption of junk foods. He elucidated how proper eating habits deter a healthy lifestyle and improve the overall wellness of the human body. Besides, he also talked about the growing medical cases such as hypertension, cancers, and other diseases in the state which attributed to unhealthy eating habits
DPO(Poshan)Mr. Laxuman Tamang informed the importance of Poshan Pakhwada and the theme of this year which promotes the health and nutritional benefits of millet. He said that the year, 2023 is declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the ‘International Year of Millets’, by this declaration, the Government of India has taken up various steps to popularize the adoption of millets. In addition, he briefed about various activities carried out in the district such as anemia screening for children and awareness of Millet’s benefits for children and lactating women as part of the Poshan Pakhwada celebration.
AD(Nutrition)Mrs. Sophia Lepcha highlighted the advantages of millet and its recipes that can be made out of by the AWW at ICDS centers.
During the program, a total of 6 AWW workers were also given a token of appreciation by the chief guest for their participation in Kitam Eco-Tourism. They were namely:
1. Sabita Pradhan
2. Kharka Lachi Rai
3. Kalpana Tamang
4. Dhan Maya Subba
5. Saraswati Chettri
6. Pema Tashi Tamang
As part of the program, food items made out of millet were also exhibited.
It may be mentioned here that Poshan Pakhwada aims to raise awareness about the importance of nutrition and promote healthy eating habits through Jan Andolan and Jan Bhagidari. This year is the fifth edition of Poshan Pakhwada which was celebrated from 20th March to 3rd April 2023 with various activities nationwide.