M A I N   N E W S

Panel on children welfare soon

New Delhi, May 7
A National Commission for Children will be shortly set up and the Cabinet has already given its approval to it, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi announced in the Rajya Sabha today.

Making the announcement while replying to a debate on ‘The Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Bill, 2003”, the minister stressed the need for having “our own model” of creches for babies close to workplaces of their mothers. “We will have to find a way out. Social scientists, politicians and industrial houses will have to work together,” he said.

The Bill, which was passed by Parliament with support from members cutting across party lines, seeks to amend the Act in this regard. It is aimed at promoting breast feeding and curbing publicity of infant foods which suggest that infant food is better than mother’s milk.

The Bill had been passed by the Lok Sabha. It was cleared by the Rajya Sabha today.

Almost all members, mainly women MPs, were unanimous that breast milk was best for the health, nutrition and growth of infants and packaged infant food could never be a substitute for mother’s milk.

The members urged the government to effectively check advertisements in the media highlighting the importance of packaged infant foods. Instead, the importance of mother’s milk should be promoted, they said. UNI