Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (MS/HB)

Udupi, Jun 17: Many playschools (anganwadi) in rural areas are on the verge of closure due to less number of attendees. On the contrary, a playschool at Bantakal in Shirva taluk of the district is attracting everyone’s attention with air-condition facility.

The first-of-its-kind anganwadi in the district is built at a cost of Rs 20.5 lac by Women and Children Development department and donors. This is situated at Banakal which falls under Shirva gram panchayat limits.

Earlier, this anganwadi used to function in a 35-year-old dilapidated building on a six-cent land given as gift to Shirva gram panchayat by late Achutha Kamath. Due to the efforts of local gram panchayat member K R Patkar for six years and kind hearted donors, now the building has new look.

This anganwadi has compound wall, air-conditioned room, wall paintings and writing, cartoon pictures and cable network for kids to watch their favourite cartoon characters on television.

The facility also had separate slide for kids with shade above. The playschool has 800 square feet pandal and 1,000 sq ft interlock, concrete benches for parents to rest, two toilets and 24-hour drinking water supply with water purifier, sofa, footwear stand, school bag stand, chairs for kids, uniform, table and solar lights.

There is a kitchen with grinder and gas stove. A small garden is built which consists of flowers and vegetables plants. The children are fed nutritious fresh food from the garden itself.

The building was built by women and children development department at a cost of Rs 16.5 lac. Gram panchayat president Patkar collected Rs four lac from his friends, local organizations and kind hearted donors and gave this facility high tech touch.

There are 30 children using this facility. Vinaya Harish Kunder is the anganwadi worker, while Sandhya Acharya assists her and Shaila supervises the proceedings.

Parents happily send their children to this anganwadi, which has given a new appearance to this rural area. The villagers are proud about the model anganwadi.