Egg row: Laxmi Hebbalkar orders suspension of Koppal CDPO

Karnataka Minister for Women and Child Development, Laxmi Hebbalkar has ordered the suspension of the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of Koppal after a video of two Anganwadi workers removing eggs from the children’s plates went viral.

Additionally, she has instructed that a notice be issued to the Deputy Director (DD) of the Koppal district.

The issue came to light when a video of the Anganwadi worker, Lakshmi, and assistant Shahnaz Begum from Gundur village, Koppal, went viral, showing them allegedly depriving children of eggs. The duo have been suspended.

Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar stated that those responsible must be punished. She emphasized her commitment to improving the department from the grassroots level, stressing that the primary goal of Anganwadi centers is to provide nutritious food and quality education. She assured that no injustice would be done to the underprivileged children.

The state and central governments allocate Rs 8 per meal per child. However, there has been no increase in the unit cost for the last nine years, despite a significant rise in the prices of pulses. The state government, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has introduced initiatives to provide eggs and high-quality milk to children. The minister also mandated video recording during the distribution of meals to children, with these videos being uploaded from the taluk level to the district level through WhatsApp groups. She mentioned that a similar incident had occurred previously, leading to the mandatory implementation of video recordings, which has now brought this issue to light.

Minister Hebbalkar warned that anyone found guilty of such misconduct would be compulsorily retired from their position. She stated that this case should serve as a lesson to others and confirmed that she had instructed the department’s Principal Secretary to suspend the CDPO and issue a notice to the DD.