Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sumit Mallick Monday directed the Nandurbar district officials to stop distribution of ready-to-eat therapeutic food (RUTF) and called for an inquiry into why therapeutic food was given to severely acute malnourished children despite the state government’s decision to halt the tender procedure. On Monday, in the Gabha committee meeting, held regularly between NGOs and government officials to discuss district level issues, NGO Narmada Bachao Andolan raised the issue of RUTF distribution in Nandurbar, along with high vacancies in rural and district hospitals. Mallick asked the district CEO to stop further procurement of RUTF and its distribution to malnourished children. Nandurbar, on Maharashtra’s northern border, has 1,609 severely acute malnourished children who were being administered the therapeutic paste. The cost of each packet is Rs 29.5, and each child is given three packets a day for at least a month. RUTF is a paste made from micro-nutrients, vitamins, peanut, milk solids and vegetable oils having 520-555 kcal per 100 gram of energy. Since last year, at least 1,428 children in Nandurbar have been admitted to 528 village child development centres. In August, the Union WCD ministry wrote to all states, “Enough evidence is not available for use of RUTF vis a vis other interventions for management of severe acute malnourishment. RUTF may replace nutritional practices and family foods that children would normally be eating.” The notification further asked states to stop RUTF implementation. In September, the Maharashtra WCD halted the tender process across the state, and assured the Bombay High Court that it will await the Centre’s nod before using therapeutic food to combat severe malnourishment. It had allocated Rs 37.4 crore for RUTF for 2017-18. According to documents with The Indian Express, Nandurbar officials in the Integrated Child Development System, however, signed a contract with Jalgaon-based Matrix Health Care Products to buy RUTF packets, originally manufactured by New Delhi-based Nuflower Foods and Nutrition Pvt Ltd. Funds from the district planning committee (DPC) were to be utilised. So far, no payment has been made to Matrix. “I am waiting for the inquiry report. There was no official communication to procure RUTF. We do not know why it was procured locally,” said Nandurbar CEO Ravindra Bhinwade, adding that the district collector was informed that RUTF distribution has been halted across Maharashtra.
