Minister in charge of Mandya district N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Wednesday said 109 child homes or crèches will be set up in the gram panchayats of Mandya district and added that the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj has sanctioned a sum of ₹1.09 crore towards the project.
Each child home or ‘Koosina Mane’ will be built at a cost of ₹1 lakh, he said.
Speaking in Mandya, the Minister said child homes are ready for the inauguration in 21 gram panchayats in the first phase. Likewise, the facilities in other gram panchayats will also be launched.
The ‘Koosina Mane’ scheme was announced in the budget by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio. The government has proposed to open nearly 4,000 child homes for the benefit of working mothers enrolled under MGNREGA.
In a symbolic manner, one such a crèche was opened at Molekoppal in Induvalu Gram Panchayat.
The government announced the scheme in the budget with the objective of providing medical care, nutrition and safety to the children of women from rural areas enrolled under the MGNREGA.
The caretakers of the children at the child homes will be paid a sum of ₹316 a day under the scheme. The women will be financially empowered since 100 days of employment is assured under the scheme, a press release said.
MLA Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda suggested that nodal officers have to be appointed to oversee the functioning of the ‘Koosina Mane’ in each gram panchayat.
