Principal Secretary School Education Department Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon has directed all the Chief Education Officers (CEO) to certify that cent percent distribution of advance ration (rice) was done among the eligible students.The step was taken to ensure mid-day meal scheme benefits reach to the deserving students during the lock down of schools due to Covid-19 spread.In a circular issued here Dr Samoon said, “It would be incumbent upon all the Chief Education Officers(CEOs) of the respective districts to ensure that Government instructions are adhered to. Moreover, CEOs have to furnish a certificate indicating 100% advance dry distribution of ration(Rice) among eligible children is completed. Furthermore, CEOs are directed to submit the requisition of funds under the component of cooking cost.”Earlier, Principal Secretary School Education had also directed CEOs to distribute two-month advance dry ration (rice) among the eligible 88,6905 children (which include 5,84,387 in primary and 3,02,518 in upper primary) in all districts of J&K.Dr Samoon informed that 4700.76 mt tonnes of food grains for 1st quarter of 2020-21 have already been approved for distribution among the eligible children in J&K by Mid-day meal directorate.He added that the initiative taken by the Lt Governor would continue till the situation returns to normal.Notably, a circular issued a few days back by the Department of School Education to CEOs also asked for submission of bank account details of eligible students under parents within ten days for crediting the cooking cost of Mid-Day Meal Scheme directly to them via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.The Mid-Day meal scheme is aimed to improve the nutritional status of the children from classes I to VIII, besides encouraging poor children to attend the schools more regularly. According to the scheme, every child enrolled in the primary class is provided with a free supply of 100 grams of food grains per day, while as the children in upper primary are provided with 150 grams per day.