57.2% children have stunted growth in Ranchi: Survey

RANCHI: At least 57. 2% children born in the districts of Ranchi are stunted, 39% are born underweight and 16.2% are born weak, Bihar MP Harivansh, referring to a survey by a Hyderabad-based agency, said on Thursday.
Addressing a gathering at Jharkhand Development Dialogue Series on 'Prioritizing Children in the Development Agenda', held as part of UNICEF's 70 years, and Xavier Institute of Social Service's (XISS) diamond jubilee celebrations, the MP said the data revealed the condition of children below five years of age in Chatra, Giridih, Dumka, Dhanbad and Koderma districts.
Discussing the obstacles faced by the government, Harivansh said a lot of funds of State Nutrition Mission continued to remain unused. "The budget of the present State Nutrition Mission is Rs 10.5 crore but the funds are yet to be utilized," he said.
Madhulika Jonathan, Jharkhand UNICEF head, said, "According to data released by Rapid Survey on Children 2013-14, about 47% of the children below five years of age are malnourished and have stunted growth." To tackle this issue, UNICEF is working on various social protection schemes. Jonathan said the introduction of second anganwadi workers in around six districts is proving to be useful in this context.