BENGALURU: The state government is all set to open 4,000 “Koosina Mane’’ creches for children of young mothers who work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) across the state this year. The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department will open the creches.
Para 15 of Schedule II of MGNREGA says priority will be given to women workers. At least one-third of the beneficiaries will be women who have registered and requested for work. Efforts to increase the participation of single mothers and physically challenged women will be made.
More than 50% of the workforce under MGNREGA schemes are women, with most of them young and single mothers who have to take care of their children aged upto six. Hence, the government has decided to open the creches.
RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge said till now, children of women working under MGNREGA schemes were provided with amenities such as drinking water and shelter at project sites. Henceforth, creches will be opened at such sites.
“We will ensure a better place for these children. One of the working women will take care of children, for which she will be paid,” he said.
Healthy food will be given to children at the creches. “The creches will help children join school when they turn six,” the minister said. In Karnataka, there are over 6,000 gram panchayats. In his budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced to start childcare centres at gram panchayats.