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More than 180 community kitchens once operated across the tribal hamlets of Attappadi, but only 28 are currently functioning, said officials. The community-kitchen programme was introduced in Attappadi in 2013-14 to tackle malnutrition, especially among children, pregnant and lactating women, adolescents and elderly people. Palakkad : The state govt has sought a comprehensive report on the functioning of community kitchens in Attappadi and the possibility of reviving those that have stopped operations, amid concerns over the sharp decline in the number of kitchens serving the tribal population. Scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes welfare minister K A Thulasi directed the Kudumbashree district coordinator to submit the report within a week. The programme was subsequently taken over by Kudumbashree and is largely managed by tribal women’s neighbourhood groups. The kitchens provide cooked, nutritious meals, including rice, ragi and pulses. Thulasi issued the directives at a meeting of people’s representatives and officials at Anakatti Vattalakki Cooperative Farming Society to discuss the health and welfare of pregnant women, lactating mothers and children.