In the wake of the unprecedented rise in prices of eggs in the last few days, the Mysuru district administration has decided to readjust the amount to be paid for eggs and vegetables to ensure that anganwadi centres continue to provide eggs to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Each beneficiary in the centres was being allocated a sum of ₹9 and the centres used to spend ₹5 on eggs and ₹4 on vegetables per person. The district-level ICDS committee has now decided to readjust the amount. Accordingly, an amount of ₹6 has been fixed for eggs and ₹3 for vegetables per beneficiary.
K. Radha, Deputy Director, Women and Child Development Department, told The Hindu on Tuesday that all 2,860 anganwadis have been instructed to reallocate the funds accordingly and provide eggs to beneficiaries compulsorily. Many centres had come forward with a proposal to stop giving eggs and instead give additional vegetables and fruits. This was refused by the district committee.
There are over 1,53, 689 children at anganwadi centres in the district. Of them, 58,044 are in the age group of three years to six years and 95,645 are between six months to three years old. There are over 19,347 pregnant women and over 17,848 lactating women availing certain facilities at the centres. Children in the age group of three to six years will be given eggs on a daily basis while pregnant and lactating mothers would be given eggs twice a week.
Higher ups in the department are believed to have appreciated the move to re-allocate the amount so as to enable the centres to purchase eggs and distribute it to the beneficiaries. And the Higher ups are contemplating directing all centres across the State to follow the same system in their respective jurisdictions.
It may be recalled here that Mysuru had achieved the distinction of being the first district in the State to take steps to supply eggs and milk to children in the centres under the supplementary nutrition scheme of the Integrated Child Development Services. The scheme became operational in the district in September 2012 and later was introduced all over the state.
