Karnataka govt dilutes nutrition programme for tribals

The state government is sticking to the budget for its six-month-long free nutritious programme has disregarded the objective in keeping tribals healthy, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Unlike in previous years, the items in nutritious food kit being distributed from June this year were found to be in reduced quantities by the beneficiary Koraga (identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) and indigenous Malekudiya tribal families residing in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

“In order to ensure that the cost of nutritious food kit per family does not exceed Rs 1,490.93 (Rs 1,401 in Udupi), the quantity of many items was reduced,” charged Ashok Kumar Shetty of Samagra Grameena Ashram (SGA).

The rice from 15kg was reduced to 8kg and from 90 eggs to 30 in Dakshina Kannada district (45 in Udupi).

The number of pulses was also reduced by 50%. “One kilogram of ghee included in the nutritious food kit, on Lokayukta’s recommendation, by the then Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya in 2016 was reduced to half-a-kg. The kit distributed once in 30 days is now being distributed once in 45 days,” Ashok informed.

The nutritious food programme is uniform across the state and does not take into account the unique food culture of tribals, Ashok rued.

ITDP (Integrated Tribal Development Project) Officer BS Hemalatha informed that following demands from beneficiaries, pulses were removed from the kit and quota of
rice was increased from 8 to 15 kgs.

“Due to the Covid-19 crisis and unemployment during monsoon, the tribals had demanded that the nutritious programme should extend to six months. Thus, the four kits are being distributed by maintaining a gap of 45 days in order to ensure that they last for six months,” Hemalatha explained.

Impact of nutritious food programme

ITDP distributed nutritious food kits to 1,218 Koraga and 1,729 Malekudiya families in Dakshina Kannada district. In Udupi district, 2,586 Koraga and 443 Malekudiya families received food kits from ITDP.

In 2009 a study by non-government organisations, Action Aid and Samagra Grameena Ashram (SGA) revealed high levels of anaemia amongst women and children from the Koraga community. Four in every five (80%) Koraga women suffer endemic anaemia, the study had highlighted. The study prompted the government to launch a nutrition programme.

What is the impact of the 11-year-old nutrition programme? Researcher Veera Renuka Lobo in her doctoral thesis, ‘Koragas status and development..’, declares that many Koragas are malnourished and women are anaemic.