Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-03-16

The programme of Providing Rs.20,000/- to obtain nutritional foods for expectant mothers

- In order to give birth to a physically and mentally healthy child and for the elimination of low birth-weigh child births from Sri Lanka, a programme of providing nutritional food in a value of Rs.20,000/- to expectant mothers for a period of 10 months, including the final 06 months of pregnancy period and the first 04 months of the lactation period, is being implemented by the Government since March 2015. It has been recommended to introduce a new methodology, to enable the expectant mothers to select food of their preference and choice and to further simplify the present methodology. It would provide expectant mothers with the opportunity of getting nutritional food, for a period of 10 months from any of the easily accessible business institutions, subject to a maximum of Rs. 20,000/- per month, which have been registered in the Divisional Secretariat. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Mrs.) Chandrani Bandara, the Minister of Women and Child Affairs, to implement the proposed new methodology, was approved by the Cabinet.