35 lakh anganwadi children to get food delivered at home

Over 35 lakh children depended on Anganwadi centres across the state will get their food delivered to their home from Saturday as the state government declared indefinite closure of Anganawadis to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In an official circular issued, the state department of Women and Child Welfare directed the officials concerned at district level on Friday evening, "to home deliver the raw materials to prepare food which includes groceries to each of the beneficiaries."

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This is to ensure that children would consume nutritious food even during the closure of Anganwadi centres. Speaking about the initiative, Minister for Women and Child Welfare Shashikala Jolle said, "It is our responsibility to ensure that children get nutritious food in time. As the Anganwadi centres are closed until further borders, we have taken a decision to home deliver materials."

Earlier, the department thought of cooking the food at the respective Anganwadi centres and deliver to a home or asking parents to collect the same. But later it has decided to deliver rice and other groceries at the doorstep.

The department has now adopted the model initiated by the Kerala government recently. Following the closure of Anganawadis, the Kerala government had taken a decision to door deliver the raw material to cook food at home. The same model has now been followed by the state department of Women and Child Welfare.

In Karnataka, over 35 lakh children between the age group of 3 months to 6 years depending on Anganawadis. The Anganwadi workers estimate the quantity of food consumed by the children and handover the same to the beneficiaries at their doorstep.

Following the move by the Anganwadis, several persons have requested the Department of Primary and Secondary education to extend the same to school-going kids to address lakhs of students from poor economic background to address the lack of the midday-meal.

Reacting to the concerns raised by the public S Suresh Kumar, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education said that the state government was working on the issue.