Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Manglauru, Apr 9: Dakshina Kannada boasts about the strides it has made in the field of education. However, it is also true that 220 Anganwadi centres in the district have no roofs of their own. As a result, they are compelled to be run either in rented buildings or facilities provided by donors.

Dakshina Kannada district has 2,104 Anganwadi centres of which 1,884 are located in their own buildings. The remaining 220 are functioning in buildings that do not belong to the government. A major chunk of the Anganwadis that are deprived of their own buildings is in the city.

There are 225 Anganwadi centres in the city but only 99 among them have their own buildings. The other 126 are operated in buildings belonging to others. It is surprising that the city, which takes credit for being an educational hub, has not been able to provide buildings to 126 Anganwadi centres that are the first stepping stones of education. In Mangaluru rural section too, out of 450 Anganwadi centres, 61 do not have their own buildings.

In Beltangady, 317 out of 324 Anganwadi centres are functioning in their own buildings while 225 out of 229 centres in Vittal have their own roofs. 321 among 341 centres in Bantwal have their own building while Sullia is the only region where all the 165 Anganwadi centres are run in their own buildings.

Among the 126 Anganwadis without buildings, 20 have their own sites. Currently, the construction of 24 Anganwadi buildings is in progress. In all the Anganwadi centres, all facilities like drinking water, toilet and other basic facilities have been provided.'

Papa Bovi, deputy director of the women and child development department of Dakshina Kannada district, added that steps are being taken to provide own buildings to Anganwadi centres under National Rural Employment Guarantee and other schemes.