Students being served mid-day meal at a school in Ludhiana.(Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)
Government schools in Punjab have been advised to set up kitchen gardens and grow vegetables for mid-day meals to provide healthy, nutritious and organic vegetables to children. Inderjit Singh, Director School Education (Elementary) Punjab, said that since many schools face space issue, orders haven’t been made mandatory.
In written directions issued by office of Director Education (Elementary) on August 8, school heads, including elementary and secondary both, have been advised to establish kitchen gardens with help from Horticulture Department and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
The letter says that this idea was discussed during a meeting of Programme of Approval Board related to mid-day meals held by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in New Delhi on June 6 this year.
Around 270 schools in Punjab already have kitchen gardens established at their own level.
Meanwhile, in another letter issued to all District Education Officers by Director Education (Elementary), all schools have been ordered to make arrangements for preparing mid-day meals in school itself. The orders state that any NGO or private organization should not be allowed to prepare mid-day meals after August 15. Schools have to prepare it themselves. Sources said that orders have been issued after a lizard was found in dal served at a school in Patiala on July 25.