Udupi: Sri Krishna Math ‘Chinnara Habba’ off to Colourful Start
 
News and pics by Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (RD/CN)
 
Udupi, Dec 12: Karnataka legislative assembly speaker Jagdish Shettar inaugurated ‘Chinnara Habba’, a two-day extravaganza for students of primary and high schools across the district, on Thursday December 11.

Addressing the gathering, he said that the free mid-day meals are provided to around 30,000 students of 120 schools across the district with government assistance. These meals are aimed as an incentive to induce the students to attend school regularly, as also for helping them perform better. Sri Krishna Math deserves to be commended for its noble task of providing mid-day meals to students in the district, he said. 

P M Narendraswamy, minister, women and child welfare, was the chief guest of the occasion, who said that 72 percent of children in our country still suffer from lack of nutrition. The state administration provides nutritious food to 54,000 anganawadys across the state while 77,770 children benefit from nutrition supplies to 1,125 anganawadys located in the district, he said.
 
The minister announced that a children’s commission will be functional by January 2009, which would work for the moral and mental growth of children.
 
Zilla panchayat president Raju Poojary, entrepreneur Pramod Madwaraj, Puttige Sri Sugunendrateerta Swami, and Bheemanakatte Sri Raghumanyateerta Swami, were also present on the dais.
 
Ramachandra Upadhyaya welcomed the gathering and Subramanya Basri delivered the keynote address. Gopal Acharya compered the programme.
 
On the two days of the event, V G Baikady will stage entertaining games, Pattabhirama Sullia will stage comedy and mimicry, Ramesh Kalmady will stage folk dances of the coastal district, and Prahlad Acharya will conduct magic and ventriloquism shows.