India, Sept. 10 -- Poor quality Take Home Ration (THR) supplied to children and pregnant women has become a major concern for anganwadi workers in Maharashtra. They allege the beneficiaries refuse to consume the food, instead using it as animal feed.

This was at the centre of a day-long protest by anganwadi workers from Mumbai district, at Azad Maidan. "We bear the responsibility for children aged six months to six years. We also raise awareness among parents to ensure these children receive nutritious food," said Sangeeta Kamble, general secretary of the Anganwadi Employees' Union (CITU Maharashtra).

Anganwadi workers claim the THR, which includes nutritional powder and ready-to-cook premixes, allegedly contains contaminants including ...