Under attack recently for providing substandard quality of food to the students under centrally-sponsored mid-day meal scheme, Punjab has stood first in the North India and bagged the second position in all states in the scheme.
To further strengthen the scheme in the state, Punjab Government has provided Rs 275.81 crore for the scheme catering to approximate 19 lakh students studying in primary and upper-primary Government schools across the State. “Taking special care that the food is being cooked hygienically and ensuring its nutrient value, the Government has engaged 40,243 cook-cum-helpers in the state to prepare and serve hygienic and
delicious meal to the students daily,” said the State Education and language Minister Sikander Singh Maluka on Sunday. He said that Rs 8.60 crore have also been provided for utensils in all the schools in the state. “Deputy Commissioners of all the districts have been appointed as chairman of the scheme to ensure its proper implementation, quality and quantity of the mid-day meal at district levels. The District administration would hold meetings of the District Steering Monitoring Committee from time-to-time to review the position of food grains received, utilised and balances lying in stock to check pilferage, if any,” said Maluka.
The Minister said that the mid-day meal scheme is being implemented by the non-government organisations (NGOs) in urban and rural schools in the districts of Sangrur, Nawanshahr, Mohali, Bathinda and Moga. Besides providing mid-day meal, the government undertakes health checkups of primary school students twice a year and for upper primary students once a year in the State, said Maluka.
“A primary school student is being given a meal containing 450 kilo calories and 12 grams protein and a meal containing 700 kilo calorie and 20 gram protein is being given to the upper primary students,” he added.