Women and Child Development Ministry officially dissolves food and nutrition board
- In Reports
- 05:31 PM, May 22, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry has officially dissolved the Food and Nutrition Board. This board, which provided technical and logistical support for community nutrition programmes, has been shut down as part of a government plan to rationalise various bodies. The Food and Nutrition Board was a technical wing of the ministry, headquartered in Delhi.
The WCD Ministry has officially dissolved the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), according to a gazette notification issued. The board, which had a wide network including four regional offices and quality control laboratories in Faridabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, was responsible for providing technical and logistical support for community nutrition programmes.
The decision to dissolve the Food and Nutrition Board followed a Cabinet meeting on April 6 last year. This move was based on recommendations from the Principal Economic Adviser’s report in November 2020 on the rationalisation of government bodies.
In the meeting, the Cabinet approved proposals from the Ministry of Women and Child Development for the rationalisation and closure of the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, and the Central Social Welfare Board. The FNB, originally established under the Ministry of Agriculture, was transferred to the WCD Ministry in 1993.
Besides regional offices and quality control laboratories, the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) maintained 43 Community Food and Nutrition Extension Units (CFNEUs) across the country, providing technical and logistical support for community nutrition programmes. The decision to dissolve the FNB includes measures affecting its employees and assets.
Out of the 147 FNB employees, 33 opted for voluntary retirement under the special voluntary retirement scheme, according to the notification. Seven Group 'A' technical officers have been reassigned to the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, while 61 Group 'B' and Group 'C' technical staff have been placed on deemed deputation to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
According to the notification, forty-six non-technical staff have been transferred to the surplus cell within the WCD ministry. Additionally, three CFNEUs located in Mumbai, Jaipur, and Bhubaneswar have been transferred to the Directorate of Estates under the Housing and urban affairs ministry.
The notification mentioned that four immovable properties located in Faridabad, Chennai, Navi Mumbai, and Kolkata are currently undergoing transfer procedures. Additionally, it stated that the Central Food Testing Laboratory in Faridabad and the Regional Food Testing Laboratory in Chennai, both assets owned by the FNB, are being transferred to the FCI or Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPB).
The regional food testing laboratories in Navi Mumbai and West Bengal, which are currently leased properties, will be leased to the FCI and DFPB after obtaining the necessary clearances from the states of Maharashtra and West Bengal.
According to the notification, all laboratories have been transferred to the FCI on an "as is where is" basis. The closure of activities at the FNB was officially announced through a gazette notification dated June 16, 2021. The formal dissolution was approved on November 30 last year. Consequently, the FNB ceased operations effective December 1 last year.
Image source: WION News
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