Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday, 16 September 2016

A Mobile App named " BANMALI "


A Mobile App named " BANMALI "

Hindustan Times ( 15 Sept 2016 ) carried following news :

" Pankaja Munde’s dept wants to replace hot meals with ready-to-eat food packets "

Pankaja Munde, is now looking to replace the concept of hot cooked meals provided under the Centre’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) for children under 6 years, with THR-like ready-to-eat premixed food packets.


This means that instead of the “khichdi” (a mix of dal and rice) prepared locally by village communities or self help groups, anganwadis – government run child care centres – will be provided with certain kinds of ready-to-eat packets to prepare and serve the children.


If cleared, the state government may once again run foul of the apex court orders that have reiterated that children under six should be served hot meals prepared locally by village communities or self help groups.



She said there was no question of awarding contracts to any company. “As per the Food Security Act, food contracts can only be given to women sansthas, self help groups.’’



In the past, the apex court has slammed the state for favouring big contractors through self help groups. A lot would depend on how the proposal is finalised and how the tender is drafted to award these contracts.



“Our experience with the THR tender is that the state government is keen on pushing women self help groups out in the name of hygiene. That’s why they have insisted on a fully automated machinery to prepare such food packets.

The hot cooked meal segment has a much larger scope with annual tenders worth over thousands of crores. If the concept shifts to these premixes, then similar tenders will be issued and the same five to six firms will get the biggest chunk of the contracts,’’ said a women self help group member and activist, who did not wish to be quoted.


She said that nearly one lakh self-help groups were involved in preparing of such meals, who did not stand a chance to continue if the government insisted on extrusion technology (fully automated process) and having in-house laboratories as in the case of THR contracts.


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I suppose everyone wants to support / encourage self help groups of women


But you have to only visit the kitchens of these groups to convince yourself of the terrible hygienic conditions under which the mid-day meals get cooked !


Maharashtra State just does not have the number of Inspectors to inspect  88,272  AanganWadis  !


We are talking of health of 86.31 lakh children in Maharashtra alone !


All over the country , there must be SEVERAL  CRORE children covered under ICDS scheme


It would benefit all the States - and the Centre - to consider my suggestion for a COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION of malnutrition among children thru implementation of Mobile App "  BANMALI " , described below :




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16  Sept  2016









hemen  parekh


Marol , Mumbai , India


( M ) +91 - 98,67,55,08,08


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