Punjab Bags 2nd Position In Mid-Day Meal Scheme – Maluka

NGOs To Run Mid-Day-Meal Scheme In Five Districts

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh 21-Jan-2014

In a major achievement, Punjab has bagged second position in implementing Mid-Day-Meal Scheme across the country. Punjab Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka said that under the mid-day meal scheme, over 19 lacs students are covered during current financial year which include 13723 primary schools and 6656 upper primary schools of Punjab. Maluka further said that the government has provided an amount of Rs. 275.81 crore under the mid-day meal scheme for cooking cost, food grain, transportation of food grain and honorarium to cook-cum-helper and management. Besides this Rs. 8.60 crore have also been provided for utensils in all the government and government aided schools of the state. Minister also said that Mid-Day-Meal Scheme was being implemented efficiently in the schools of state and students were being provided with a balanced diet for lunch in all the primary and upper primary schools. As a pilot project, schools falling in municipal limit of Mohali, Sangrur, Moga, Bhatinda and Nawanshehar the scheme is implemented through Non-government-Organizations (NGOs) that teachers could devote their full time for teaching. The Minister said that the concerned officers have already been directed to ensure quality and quantity before lifting the food-grains. They would be held responsible if any complaint received regarding the quality of food grains. No laxity would be tolerated in this regard.