Haryana hikes mid-day meal budget by 72%

Chandigarh, April 6

The Haryana Government has increased about 72 per cent budget to provide mid-day meal to students of 14,409 primary schools under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PMPOSHAN). During the current year, a sum of Rs 661 crore has been earmarked against the previous year budget of Rs 384 crore to provide mid-day meal to the students.

While presiding over a meeting of the state-level steering committee for the Mid-day Meal Scheme here today, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal directed the officials concerned to conduct a study in different blocks regarding adding nutritional value to the meal. He asked the officials concerned to ensure quality and meet the nutritional standards of food, besides cooking it in hygienic conditions.

Kaushal directed the officials concerned to fix the time schedule for providing meals to students so that an inspection can be done to check and ensure the quality of meal. He said meals provided under the scheme include a variety of food items based on fortified flour, rice and bajra.

It was apprised in the meeting that 200ml five flavoured fortified milk is also provided to the students of classes I to VIII at least 3 days in a week along with mid-day meal.

He directed the officials concerned to plan more food items containing proteins in the mid-day meal.