About 5 Lakhs students of 15,516 Primary and Upper Primary Schools benefiting from Mid-Day Meal Scheme
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Anil Kumar Khachi directed the Education Department to ensure that good quality meal is provided to every eligible school-going children in the State.
In the 19th State Level Steering-cum- Monitoring Committee Meeting of Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Chief Secretary said the Centre has advised the State to use double fortified salt (Iron and Iodine) and fortified edible oil (vitamin A and D) under Mid-Day Meal. As double fortified edible oils weren’t available in the open market in the State, Khachi asked the H.P. Civil Supplies Corporation to explore the possibility of making it available in fair price shops.
At present, there are 4,97,774 students enrolled in 15,516 Primary and Upper Primary schools from class 1st to 8th in the State, who were getting mid-day meal. The Government of India and State provides funds under Mid-Day Meal Scheme on 90:10 basis and Union Govt has approved Rs. 8,586.33 lakh and State has allocated Rs. 862.30 lakh for current fiscal.
Khachi said that 25,000 Pre-Primary students are enrolled in 3,740 selected government schools, who should also be provided mid-day meals from state resources and he directed the education department to take up the matter of providing additional funds from Govt of India for this purpose.
