Backward Classes hostellers now enjoy protein-rich meals

For the last three months, students residing in hostels run by the Backward Classes Welfare Department have been regularly enjoying protein-rich diet comprising fish, egg and chicken dishes, in addition to regular meals being served to them.

By increasing the monthly amount set aside per student for food by Rs 100, the department decided to introduce some protein element into their diet. The department has classified the menu as per the food culture of old Mysore region, coastal / malnad belt, and North Karnataka region.

The near 1.70 lakh students in 2,308 hostel, are being served breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner every day. Though some of the hostels were serving fish, egg and chicken, it had not been a regular affair. The department has now made it mandatory to serve the proteins, said Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya. The students are served idli, dosa, puffed rice, tomato rice bath, upma and other dishes for breakfast and in the evenings.

In the old Mysore region, the students are being served ‘ragi’ balls, rice, greens, sprouts and butter milk for lunch. For dinner, they are being served banana once in two days, egg twice a week; chicken once in 15 days, and sweets on all Sundays (‘Holige’ or ‘kheer’).

In coastal / Malnad region, the students are being served rice, rasam, sprouts, buttermilk for lunch. For dinner, they are being served chicken or fish sambar dishes once a week.
In North Karnataka region, the students are being served chapati / jolada rotti, rice, sprouts, sambar, for lunch. For dinner, they are getting banana every day, egg - four times a week, sweet dish or chicken dish, every Sunday.

The minister also said that the department would shortly introduce mobile health check-up vehicles to go around to all the hostels in the State to conduct general health check ups of students.

Caste census
Anjaneya said that details pertaining to the caste-based socio-economic survey taken up by the Karnataka backward Classes Commission would be made public in two months. He said the Commission which was corroborating the details obtained during the survey, was also carrying out random surveys in all the 175 taluks to ensure there has not been any discrepancy in the survey exercise.

Pillow / mattress scam
The minister said that Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee was inquiring into the pillow and mattress purchase scam, and that action would be initiated once the report is submitted.