CHENNAI: To update the real-time data of children under the age of six, Anganwadi workers will be provided smartphones at the cost of Rs 17.53 crore. Anganwadi centres will also be provided four types of monitoring devices at the cost of Rs 14.85 crore, social welfare minister Geetha Jeevan said in the Assembly on Monday.
Other announcements include providing new equipment to nutritious noon meal centres in government schools at the cost of Rs 25.70 crore and creation of a website and real-time mobile application to update the data of children in need of care and protection at the cost of Rs 1 crore. A website will be created for the Widow and Destitute Women Welfare Board and internal complaints committees to monitor and quicken their functioning will be provided at the cost of Rs 50 lakh.
The department will also create a corpus fund of Rs 50 lakh for providing compensation to children affected by violence other than sexual offences. The minister also said sweet pongal will be served to students as part of a nutritious noon meal on the birth anniversary of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi which falls on June 3.