Bengal to also serve chicken, fruits in mid-day meals for next four months at an additional cost of Rs 371 crore

MP,  6 Jan 2023, KOLKATA: In addition to the existing mid-day meal menu of rice, potato, dal, soybean, vegetables and eggs, the State government is now going to introduce chicken and seasonal fruits in schools. 

Additional diets will be served in the schools of Bengal in mid-day meals for the next 16 weeks (four months) from January 23. “Rs 371 crore has been allotted for additional diets,” said an order issued by the School Education Department. 

Additional nutrition will be given to the students under PM POSHAN at the school level. The School Education department has already written to all the District Magistrates, joint commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Sub-divisional officer of Siliguri and other departments giving specific directives in this regard. 

“Additional nutrition will include egg, chicken, and seasonal fruits which may please be added with normal PM Poshan on a weekly basis for four months from January to April,” the order said. 

The School Education Department has already transferred Rs 371,90,78,400 for additional nutrition to students as an allotment grant for 4 months. 

The new food items will increase the amount spent on each student for mid-day meals by Rs 20. 

This will continue for 16 weeks and hence an extra Rs 320 has been allotted for each student for this period. 

The Centre and the state share the cost of the meals on a 60:40 basis. In October last year, the Union government increased the allocation for mid-day meals. Over 11.6 million students enrolled at state-run schools get mid-day meals across Bengal. 

The change in the mid-day meal menu comes ahead of the Panchayat polls. It may be mentioned here that during the Covid pandemic and lockdown, the state ensured that children were not deprived of mid-day meals and distributed rice, pulses, potato, and soybean regularly from school buildings. 

Despite difficulties, the state government did not shut down mid-day meals. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/bengal-to-also-serve-chicken-fruits-in-mid-day-meals-for-next-four-months-at-an-additional-cost-of-rs-371-crore-504514