The school students of the Punjab will now have a fruit in their midday meals. The state government has given the green light for the addition of bananas to be provided to children in government schools as part of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM Poshan) scheme, commencing from January 1.
As per the Punjab State Midday Meal Society's directive, it has been decided to introduce nutritious fruits into the daily school meals following input from parents, teachers, and students.
The instruction states that on Mondays, every student will receive a banana, and schools will be allocated Rs 5 per child for this purpose.
Varinder Singh Brar, the general manager of Midday Meal Society, announced that all students from upper kindergarten to Class 8 who receive midday meals will also be provided with bananas.
The suggestion to add bananas to the lunchtime meal has been delayed for an extended period because of financial constraints and budgetary concerns.
Maharashtra added eggs to mid-day meal last month
Last month, the Maharashtra government introduced eggs into the midday meals of students attending government and aided schools, marking the first time in over twenty years since the program's inception. Currently, 14 states and Union territories include eggs in the meals provided to school students.
The state issued a government circular instructing all government and aided schools to incorporate an egg into the mid-day meal scheme once a week, under the newly named Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme.
