The Ministry of Women and Child Development disagrees with the NITI Aayog’s proposal of giving cash in lieu of dietary supplements to pregnant and lactating mothers, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

In a national nutrition strategy document in 2017, NITI Aayog, the government’s think tank, had recommended pilot schemes in some districts to test if cash transfers could be given instead of take-home rations and supplementary nutrition, as part of the Integrated Child Development Services. Under the scheme, the government provides food, preschool education and primary health care at anganwadi centres across the country.

As per the current take-home ration scheme under Integrated Child Development Services scheme, a pregnant mother and the newborn child are entitled to receive ration worth Rs 7,125 over a 45-month period.

The think tank’s proposal is intended to reduce ration leakages. In April, the National Nutrition Council had passed the decision to implement the provision in 10 vulnerable districts. However, Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi has reportedly opposed the idea and favoured sending “nutrient packages” instead of cash transfers to mothers.

“The instances of leakages in distribution of take-home ration as and when reported to the ministry are taken up with the states and union territories for taking remedial measures,” Minister of State for Women and Child Development Virendra Kumar said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, when asked if the leakages amounted to 80%. He also asked state governments to plug the leakages using Aadhaar numbers of beneficiaries.

An unidentified official of the Women and Child Development Ministry told PTI that 97% of the beneficiaries in a pilot scheme in Jharkhand chose to get ration over cash transfer for food. The official added that Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi will write to the NITI Aayog opposing the idea.