West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday here that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will gradually hand over the responsibility of mid-day meal service in state-run schools throughout the state gradually.
"ISKCON had already been given the responsibility of mid-day meal services in state-run schools within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation from August 1. Next, ISKCON will be given the responsibility for all state-run schools in Nadia district.
Gradually the society will be given the same responsibility in all state-run schools in all districts in West Bengal," the Chief Minister told media persons at the sidelines of a Ratha Yatra festival programme at Mecheda in his native East Midnapore district.
"ISKCON has reached a preliminary agreement with the state government on this count. I assure you all that only nutritious food will be served to the school students," he added. For so long, eggs were served in the school mid-day meals.
After ISKCON was given the responsibility of providing that food to schools in Kolkata, many people raised the question on whether the students get eggs henceforth. Chief Minister Adhikari gave clarifications on this issue and said that the school students will be provided with nutritious food.
"The students coming from ordinary families generally consume mid-day meals. ISKCON will provide them with nutritious food," he said. However, he did not clarify what food will be served at the mid-day meals. The Chief Minister also said that his mission and the vision and rebuilding of West Bengal is through associating organisations like the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha and ISCON, since the vision of such organisations is selfless human service.
"It is very important to provide good, nutritious food. The students who receive mid-day meals in our schools are mainly from middle-class, lower-middle-class and economically backward families. Most of the children from well-off families do not depend on this scheme.
Therefore, there is a special need for nutritious food to eliminate malnutrition. That is exactly where ISKCON comes," Chief Minister Adhikari added. He also said that during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government, there had been massive irregularities in the implementation of mid-day meal project in the state. "The involvement of ISKCON in the project will also weed out the possibilities of such irregularities henceforth," the Chief Minister added.