NTB proposes 135 new free meal kitchen points for underdeveloped regions

The Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara has proposed the construction of approximately 135 new kitchens, or Nutrition Service Units, for the Free Nutritious Meal programme in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions. Chairman of the NTB Provincial MBG Task Force, Fathul Gani, stated that the proposal aims to expand the programme’s reach, particularly for students, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers in remote areas. ‘The proposed MBG kitchens for the 3T regions are spread across the entire Bumi Gora area. There are 75 proposed points on Sumbawa Island and 60 proposed points on Lombok Island,’ he said in Mataram on Friday. He emphasised that most of the hundred new proposed points are in hard-to-reach areas, requiring a special scheme for distributing MBG menus to beneficiaries. According to him, the number of beneficiaries in each 3T area is not the same as in urban areas. MBG distribution by each 3T kitchen will be adjusted to field conditions, the number of targets, and the level of access difficulty in each region. Ideally, one MBG kitchen serves around 1,000 to 3,000 beneficiaries. However, for remote areas, the number can be adjusted considering population distribution and geographical conditions. ‘If there are only 300 or 400 beneficiaries, they will still be served. Everything is adjusted to the number of targets and regional conditions,’ Fathul said. To reach areas that are difficult to access by four-wheeled vehicles, the government is preparing various distribution alternatives, including the use of modified trail motorbikes and sea transportation for small islands. ‘It depends on the conditions of the area. Modified two-wheeled vehicles can be used. For archipelagic areas, the kitchen can be located on the mainland coast, and then the food is delivered using a speedboat or boat,’ he added. The National Nutrition Agency is also currently re-verifying the targets and number of beneficiaries. The re-verification is being carried out so that the distribution of this priority programme of President Prabowo is right on target based on the names and addresses of the beneficiaries. Fathul said the data verification process also prioritises communities that have not been served so far, especially in remote areas that have not been recorded. He added that the latest technical guidelines from the National Nutrition Agency regarding the expansion of beneficiary targets are still being prepared.