More funds for mid-day meal and nutritional aid programmes

New Delhi, Mar 16 (ANI): The Central Government is fully prepared to meet the country's nutritional challenges.

Presenting Budget 2012-13 in the Lok Sabha today, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced Multisectoral Nutrition Augmentation Programme to combat malnutrition.

Intervening decisively to address the problem of maternal and child malnutrition, the Mukherjee announced a multi-sectoral programme in selected 200 high burden districts.

Continuing to lay more emphasis on Integrated Child Development Services, Mukherjee announced a hike of 58 percent in the budgetary allocation for this scheme compared to last year.

Similarly he proposed to hike the allocation for National Programme of Mid Day Meals in Schools from Rupees 10,380 crores in 2011-12 to Rupees 11,937 crores in 2012-13.

He also proposed an allocation of Rupees 750 crores for Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls, SABLA. (ANI)