Questions have been raised over the quality of breakfast served to pourakarmikas engaged in keeping Mysuru city clean. A recent meeting of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) saw councillorrs complaining against the quality of breakfast served to the estimated 2,500 pourakarmikas in Mysuru.
Ever since the MCC launched the breakfast scheme on November 15 last year, the pourakarmikas, who leave their homes as early as 5 a.m. to report for work at their designated work-spot at 6 a.m., were served breakfast every day during a 9 a.m. break. The breakfast used to vary from idli/chutney to uppitu and kesari bhaath to pongal every day.
But, the complaints of poor quality were raised in the MCC council meeting held last Thursday with a few even suggesting that the MCC provide the pourakarmikas with a daily breakfast allowance of ₹20 per day instead.
Mayor Tasneem decided to refer the matter to the MCC’s Standing Committee on Health. MCC’s Health Officer Nagaraju said the proposal to discontinue the breakfast scheme and replace it with a breakfast allowance was not a good idea. For, most of the pourakarmikas, if not all, leave their homes early in the morning and they will not have time to prepare breakfast and eat. They come on empty stomach.
Providing breakfast allowance does not guarantee that the pourakarmikas will have their breakfast, argued Dr. Nagaraju.
Instead, the MCC should consider changing the breakfast contractor or serving the contractor with a notice to improve the quality of breakfast, Dr. Nagaraju added.
The MCC has given a contract to supply breakfast to the estimated 2,500 pourakarmikas at a cost of ₹1.74 crore per annum.
