Following the example set by Kerala, the Karnataka government too has decided to deliver groceries to the homes of children studying in anganwadis across the state as they will remain shut for the next one week.
The Department of Women and Child Development on Friday issued a notification stating that essential groceries would be home delivered.
“As a precautionary measure to avoid the spread of COVID-19, the state government had asked anganwadis in Bengaluru Urban and Rural to be shut between March 10 and March 17. This government decided on March 13 that anganwadis across the state would be shut for the next one week. In view of this, the state government will home deliver groceries to every beneficiary of the mid-day meal scheme at anganwadis,” the notification states.
The notification also states that the respective district administrations have been asked to take necessary steps to ensure that the groceries are delivered to the students’ homes as well.
Officials with the department told TNM that transporting cooked food is impractical and hence only raw materials would be home delivered.
The Kerala government has also started to home deliver groceries to suspected COVID-19 patients, who are under home quarantine in Pathanamthitta district. The district has nine people reported to have been infected and has the highest number of patients under home isolation. Many have lauded the Kerala government’s efforts to help anganwadi children and patients under home isolation in the fight against COVID-19. Till date 1,05,292 passengers have been screened in Karnataka.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said that all malls, theatres, pubs and exhibitions across Karnataka will be shut for a week beginning Saturday to prevent spread of COVID-19. Marriages, conferences and large social gatherings have also been banned for the next one week. Offices have been advised to ask their employees to work from home. anganwadis and schools were declared shut on Thursday itself. However, college students have been given a seven-day leave as well.