From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Dec 3: Come New Year and the food in the 60,000 plus Agnanwadis in Karnataka will undergo a complete makeover.

A variety of food will be served on different days of the week for children aged between three and six years in over 60,000 anganwadi centres across the State.

Children would get to eat food avalakki (beaten) mixture, rava laddu, puliyogare rice, coconut rice and sambar rice on different days of the week, Karnataka’s Women and Child Development Minister C C Patil announced on Saturday.

For children below three years of age, rava ladu, ragi kheer and rice kheer would be supplied six days in a week.

Food items such as puliyogere rice, coconut rice, sambar rice, multigrain chapathi and protein rich ragi mudde would be provided twice a week for pregnant women and lactating mothers, the minister said.

Pregnant women, adolescent girls and lactaing mothers have been provided kesaribath and bisibelebath twice a week at present.

The minister said for different regions, variety of foods would be supplied to children at anganwadi centers and pregnant women, adolescent girls and lactaing mothers.

The Department has decided to introduce drastic changes in the supply of food to children attending anganwadi centres under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

As part of the drive to reduce the financial burden, the Department has sought value added tax exemption on commodities, he said.

There are 60,046 anganwadi and 3,331 mini-anganwadi centres in the State.

The Union and the State Governments have been sharing the food expenditure on 50:50 while the salary and maintenance is shared on 90:10 basis.

Over 600 Children, Women Involved in Begging in Bangalore
 
The Minister said the Women and Child Development Department has identified 282 begging points in the City and 29 teams of 10 members each have been formed to stop practice of begging.

Teams comprising members of NGOs, department and police would take begging children and women to shelter homes. Medical staff at the shelter homes would conduct medical check up of beggars. A total of 298 persons, including 106 infants, have been taken to shelter homes, he said.

Over 600 children and women have been identified as being involved in begging in the city. Seven NGOs have been roped in to prevent begging in different parts of the city. Cases would be booked under Juvenile and Justice Act against persons who hire children for begging, the minister warned.

A survey would be conducted to identify involvement of anti-social elements in hiring children for begging, the minister said.