Allegations that expired nutritional food was distributed to children at government-run Anganwadi centres have sparked anger in Belagavi district, raising serious concerns about safety standards and oversight of child nutrition programmes.
The matter surfaced after Kannada activist Kasturi Bhavi, accompanied by local youth, inspected food stocks at three Anganwadi centres in a village in the district.
After the inspection, claims emerged that multiple food items meant for children had expired three to six months earlier but were still being supplied.
Videos shared on social media purportedly show infested rava and packets of millet (siridhanya) laddus, sambar powder, and mustard seeds carrying expiry dates from as early as October and November 2025.
Bhavi alleged that some Anganwadi staff were themselves unaware that the food items provided had crossed their expiry dates. “This is like playing with the lives of small children. If something unfortunate happens, who will be accountable?” she asked, adding that the issue might not be confined to one village.
Local inquiries reportedly found that millet laddu packets intended for Anganwadi children had expired in 2025 but were still being distributed in February 2026, fuelling anger among parents.
Residents claimed that besides laddus, other nutritional supplies were also issued despite being past their expiry, pointing to what they described as a major lapse in monitoring and quality checks.
While videos from the centres showed expired stock, department officials denied the allegations, intensifying the controversy.
The Anganwadi food distribution system functions under direct government supervision, prompting questions about whether expiry dates were verified before supply, if quality inspections were carried out at storage facilities, and whether local authorities failed in their duties.
However, senior sources in the Women and Child Development Department dismissed the claims as “misleading”.
According to sources, an inspection conducted by department officials at Anganwadi centres in Bijagarni on February 7 found no expired food packets. “There seems to be a conspiracy behind these accusations,” the sources stated.
