Bengaluru: Meals & milk for special kids soon

Bengaluru: Children studying in special schools across the state will get mid-day meals and milk under the government's flagship programmes of mid-day meals and Ksheera Bhagya from next month, said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

After a felicitation by the Karnataka Rajya Vikala Chetanara Seva Samsthe Okkuta here on Saturday, the chief minister said that he will issue orders to the authorities to extend the two schemes to special children from next month.

Also, stern action will be taken if he gets any complaints regarding corruption in fund disbursement for special schools. Plans are afoot to hold international-level Paralympics for special children in Mangaluru to inculcate sportive spirit among these children.

“My government will give special attention for the welfare of these children,” the chief minister said. Mr Kumaraswamy said that his recent budget earmarked Rs 5 crore to carry out a socio-economic survey of people with 21 types of disabilities and opening a training centre for special teachers, Rs 4 crore for waiver of loans borrowed by challenged people from state finance corporations and 20 acres of land to train physically challenged as well as to open a physio-therapy unit with private participation. 

“Teachers should not lose patience while training these special children. They need to have patience otherwise it will have an adverse effect on children,” he advised the teachers. 

Okkuta general secretary Vasanth Kumar Shetty wanted the chief minister to detach their department from the Department of Women and Child Welare, to establish a separate corporation for physically challenged, to make a separate budget allocation for their department and to cancel the existing biometric system in special schools. Urban Development Minister U.T. Khader was among those present.