In a significant move to uplift women’s livelihood opportunities, the Karnataka government has approved two Akka Cafés for Dharwad district under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). One café is slated to come up in Dharwad city, while the other will be established in Kalghatagi taluk.

These cafés aim to foster both social and financial empowerment of women by involving them directly in running the operations. Selected self-help groups (SHGs) will manage these cafés, serving affordable, locally-prepared food to the public.

The district’s zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat bodies will shortlist the most efficient SHGs to operate the cafés. The initiative is part of a broader state-wide expansion announced in the 2024-25 budget, focusing on women-led canteens.

In Dharwad, the café will be housed in the old mines and geology department building, located behind the information and public relations office. Meanwhile, Kalghatagi’s café will be set up within the taluk panchayat premises. Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) has started remodeling the Dharwad café site, with ₹15 lakh sanctioned for Dharwad and ₹5.8 lakh for Kalghatagi.

Vinod Kanti, NRLM district programme manager, mentioned that around 8,012 women’s SHGs operate in Dharwad, with 70 already offering catering services. Two of these will be selected to handle Akka Cafés. A committee will regularly monitor food quality, evaluating services every three months.

Residents welcomed the initiative, especially since the DC office canteen, which shut in 2020, left visitors without food options.