BENGALURU, 18 FEB

In response to the criticism surrounding the provision of ready-mix mid-day meals to anganwadi workers across the State, the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) has opted to discontinue the distribution of the packed food.

Instead, they have resolved to supply fresh food materials like before. This decision comes amidst concerns raised by anganwadi workers regarding the quality and nutritional value of the ready-mix meals.

Varalakshmi, State President of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, which oversees anganwadi workers, stated that in a meeting with the Women and Child Department, it was decided to halt the production of the khichdi mix and replace it with rice and vegetable sambar.

On 12 February, Salar news reported regarding the ready-mix mid-day meals, citing complaints from students about vomiting, stomach aches, and foul smells upon opening the packs and on its unhealthy nutrients.

Earlier the Supreme Court and the High Court of Karnataka have issued directives to both the union and State governments to ensure that anganwadi children receive nutritious food. In compliance with this, the union government introduced the Poshan 2.0 programme, which mandates the provision of 500 calories of energy and 12-15 grams of protein per day for each child.

However the decision on a few matters is still pending, leaving anganwadi workers disappointed, particularly regarding their salaries and maintenance charges to sustain the anganwadi centers for meal preparation. Speaking to Salar News, Vijaylakshmi, an anganwadi worker from the City, expressed concern over the lack of clarity regarding the provision of other essential foods. She highlighted the ongoing challenge of managing maintenance expenses from their own pockets and urged authorities to prioritise sending fresh food supplies as soon as possible.

In addition to Vijaylakshmi's concerns, other anganwadi workers have also raised questions about the pending rental payments to the anganwadi centres and milk producers, which have been overdue for nearly 2-3 months.

They highlighted that while the decision by the WCD department was to scrap the khichdi ready mix, there is uncertainty regarding the status of other packed food supplies. The workers demanded that there is the need for clarity and prompt action from authorities to address these issues.