Bagh: Thousands of students from 278 government primary and middle schools of Bagh development block in Dhar district are happy over the unique initiative taken by the government in which the government is distributing toor dal and soybean oil to the children under the mid-day meal.
The schools were not conducted due to the pandemic so self-help groups along with the teachers are distributing ration to the children. Ration for 73 days equivalent to the cost of the lapsed midday meals is being provided to the students.
Mid-day meal incharge of Janpad Shiksha Kendra Bagh, Mohammad Naeem Khan apprised that 22089 children will benefit from this scheme. He said that the children registered for mid-day meals under food security allowance are being given ration equivalent to the prepared meals for 73 days. Soybean oil and toor dal worth Rs. 362.81 and Rs. 543.85 per student respectively of the secondary school is being given either through door to door service or in the premises of the concerned school by maintaining all Covid norms.
Development block academic coordinator Surendra Chouhan apprised that the ration is being distributed in the presence of Jan Shikshaks and self help groups and strict instructions have been given to distribute the ration to the students immediately and to provide information of the same.
Earlier in April 2020, the ministry of human resource development had told state education ministers that to meet the nutritional requirements of the eligible children under the midday meal scheme and to safeguard their immunity during the COVID-19 outbreak, hot cooked midday meals or a food security allowance comprising grains as well as cooking costs or its equivalent in provisions may be provided to eligible children, even during summer vacations.
In a government order dated July 2 from the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme Department, each child from primary classes will be given 3.1 kg rice and 1.2 kg pulses. Upper primary children will be given 4.65 kg rice and 1.25 kg dal.
District Collectors have been asked to decide on the dates and time for the distribution of the dry rations. To inform the beneficiaries, schools have been instructed to display information regarding this on their premises.
The distribution will be carried out under the supervision of the headmasters of the schools the children study in, and will also involve block development officials, social welfare officials and representatives from parent-teacher associations.
