BELAGAVI: Allegations of expired nutritional food being distributed to children at government-run Anganwadi centres have triggered outrage in Belagavi district, raising concerns over the safety and monitoring of child nutrition programmes.
The issue came to light after Kannada activist Kasturi Bhavi, along with local youth, inspected food stocks at three Anganwadi centres in a village in the district.
Following the inspection, allegations emerged that several food items supplied to children had expired three to six months earlier but continued to be distributed.
Videos circulated on social media show infested rava, along with packets of millet (siridhanya) laddus, sambar powder and mustard seeds bearing expiry dates as early as October and November 2025.
Bhavi alleged that some Anganwadi workers themselves were unaware that the supplied food materials had crossed their expiry dates. “This amounts to playing with the lives of small children. If any tragedy occurs, who will take responsibility?” she questioned, expressing fears that the problem may not be limited to a single village but could exist elsewhere as well.
Investigations by locals reportedly revealed that millet laddu packets meant for Anganwadi children had already expired in 2025 but were still being distributed in February 2026, triggering anger among parents.
Parents and residents claimed that not only laddus but several other nutrition supplies continued to be issued despite crossing expiry limits, highlighting what they described as a serious lapse in monitoring and quality control.
Even as videos emerging from Anganwadi centres showed expired food stocks, officials from the department denied the allegations, adding to the controversy.
The Anganwadi food supply chain operates under direct government supervision, raising questions over why expiry dates were not verified before distribution, whether quality checks were conducted at storage centres, and if local officials failed in their monitoring responsibilities.
However, top sources in the Women and Child Development Department rejected the allegations, describing the viral videos as “misleading”.
Sources stated that during an inspection of Anganwadi centres in Bijagarni by Women and Child Development officials on February 7, no expired food packets were found. “There appears to be a conspiracy behind these allegations,” the sources added.