Malnutrition is a “blot” on the society and the Gujarat Government has joined hands with leading milk products maker GCMMF to tackle malnutrition among infants, girls and lactating mothers, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Monday.

In a bid to fight malnutrition among infants, girls and lactating mothers, the Gujarat government has roped in the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) to build plants to supply nutritious food, he said.

GCMMF is the marketing body of the Amul brand of milk and other dairy products.

Rupani Monday inaugurated one such ‘Take Home Ration— Supplementary Nutritious Food Plant’, built by Sumul Dairy (which comes under GCMMF) at a cost of Rs 55 crore at Chalthan in Surat, 250km form here, an official release said.

Speaking on the occasion, Rupani said his Government is committed to make the next generation — infants in the age group of 0-6, lactating mothers and the girl child — free from malnutrition, according to the release.

“Malnutrition is a blot on the society. The government has allotted an annual budget of Rs 2,800 crore to fight malnutrition,” he said.

“The State Government has joined hands with GCMMF, whose district cooperative milk unions will build such plants in different districts to supply nutritious food to fight malnutrition,” he said.

Rupani said the plant’s inauguration coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 68th birthday as it was his resolve to erase malnutrition from the State.

Child and Womens Welfare Minister Ganpatsinh Vasava said 42 lakh kids and women will benefit from the Government’s scheme to tackle malnutrition.

“The mission entails sending 16,000 metric tonnes of nutritious food to 42 lakh people in 11 predominantly tribal districts. This is besides milk being supplied to schools and anganwadis (child care centres,” he said.

On the occasion, Rupani presented a cheque of Rs 68 lakh to athlete Sarita Gayakwad, who won a gold medal at the just concluded Asian Games in Indonesia.

The CM also handed over a letter to Gayakwad, appointing her as the Gujarat Governments brand ambassador for its “Nutrition Mission”.

Gayakwad hails from the tribal-dominated Dang district of the State. The Gujarat Government had announced a reward of Rs 68 lakh to the 24-year-old sprinter after she won the gold medal in the 4x400 metre relay race in the Asian Games.