Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently dismissed a proposal to include egg curry or boiled egg in the menu of anganwadi schools. The areas chosen for the pilot proposals were tribal areas of Alirajpur, Mandla and Hoshangabad districts in Madhya Pradesh, according to a report in the Indian Express.
Chouhan, a strict vegetarian himself, reportedly told the officials that the proposal would not be cleared as he had publicly declared that in his term as chief minister, eggs would not be served as a part of meals in anganwadis.
His Principal Secretary SK Mishra reportedly said that the issue has always been sentimental for Chouhan. He also reiterated Chouhan's public statements that milk and bananas would be served instead.
The proposal was drafted soon after the Women and Child Development department met for a discussion on ready-to-eat breakfasts for children in the age group of 3-6 years in the anganwadis under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
Initially, the project officers had suggested the eggs to be served twice or thrice a week, according to the newspaper. However, when members of the Jain Community mounted pressure on the bureaucrats to change the menu and the matter was brought to Chouhan's notice, he turned down the proposal.
Anil Badkul,spokesperson for the Digambar Jain Mahasamiti claims that the consumption of eggs has several side-effects. He also said that eating non-vegetarian food reduces sensitivity in children.
Meanwhile, activists are unhappy with the decision and say that introducing eggs would have ensured that children get protein-rich food.
