BENGALURU: With thousands of anganwadis and mini anganwadis in the state remaining shut due to protests over the three days, the food supplied to children through these kendras have not reached them.
There are 64,558 anganwadis and mini anganwadis in the state and each of them cover at least 100 children in the age group of six months and three years in their jurisdiction. The children are supplied 450 gm of moong dal, 900 gm of jaggery and nutrimilk milk powder per month.
Food supplement of 500 calories of energy and 12-15 gm of protein per child per day as take-home ration (THR) in the form of micronutrient fortified food and/or energy-dense food marked as ‘ICDS Food Supplement’ is the right of every child who is enrolled in an anganwadi.
On Tuesday, about 22,000 anganwadi workers staged protest at Freedom Park, claimed H S Sunandha, CITU anganwadi union general secretary. Seshadri Road has become the protesters’ new home as they attend to ablutions, change clothes, eat and sleep there even as mercury levels soared to 38°C on Wednesday. The BBMP has set up 46 mobile toilets at Freedom Park.
“At least 25,000 anganwadis have closed,” Sunanda said. She hails from Nanjangud taluk which is going to polls on April 9. “There are 1,912 anganwadis in Mysuru and 68 mini anganwadis. All are closed,” she said.
Director of Women and Child Development Department, Deepa Cholan did not respond to queries from Express on how badly the strike has affected children.
K V Sumitramma, who works in an anganwadi in Wilson Garden, says that all the 1,200 anganwadis in Bengaluru have taken a hit. “We received the ration on Saturday. With our centres shut, I don’t know how long the ration will last. Each centre in the city should have received at least 200 kg of food,” she said.
Sumitramma says she has been receiving calls from parents asking about her whereabouts. “Apparently, the slumdwellers met the child development programme officer asking what do do with their children,” she said.
Anganwadis also get 150 sanitary napkins per month for distribution among post-pubescent girls. “Even that has taken a hit,” she said.
Suvarnamma from Guttepalya in Someshwara slum says that malnourished children may not get eggs due to the strike.