Worker puts child up for sale

CHITRADURGA: A woman staged a novel protest by putting her child up for sale in a cane basket in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Thursday, “as a last ditch attempt to get money to bribe Women and Child Welfare Department officials in order to get a posting in her ward”.M Vani alias Vanishree, a widow living in Channappa Extension in Holalkere with her two children aged two and three, put up a board saying she was selling one of her children to get money to bribe officials. She also held a begging bowl in her hand.Later, Vani submitted a memorandum to the DC stating that officials were demanding a bribe to post her as anganwadi worker at ward No 4 in Holalkere.The Women and Child Welfare Department officials appointed Vani, who met all eligibility criteria and scored 61.20 marks, as anganwadi worker at Ward No 15 of Holalkere town even though she belonged to Ward No 4. One Mala, who scored 55.12 per cent,  was posted at that ward.Vani moved the HC, which on October 31, 2011, directed the deputy director of the Women and Child Welfare Department to appoint a more meritorious candidate to ward No 4 within six weeks.