Midday meal scheme: Centre approves Rs 449 crore for the 2020-21 academic year

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre has given approval for `449 cr-midday meal scheme activities at government and aided schools in the state for the 2020-21 academic year. The programme approval board, under Union Ministry of Human Resources Development, gave nod in this regard at a videoconferencing on Friday with the representatives of various states. General Education secretary A Shahjahan and General Education director K Jeevan Babu represented Kerala at the meet.  

Of `449 crore, `283 crore is the Centre’s allocation, which is `66 crore higher than that of last year’s amount, and the rest is borne by the state government. The Union Government has given approval after verifying the annual budget report submitted by the state government. The ministry has also informed the state that it would consider the demands of cooks of midday meals to increase their honorarium from `600 to `4,500 and to provide high-quality foodgrain. The Centre has assured `5,000 for selected 9,025 government schools in the state for developing a vegetable farm on the school premises. 

According to a senior officer with the General Education Department, the fund will be utilised when the school academic year begins. “Unlike previous years, the Centre has increased its allocation in the fund, which is a welcome move. Now, we can procure high-quality foodgrain for midday meals. Similarly, the long-standing demand from the cooks to increase their wages will also be met in the upcoming academic year,” said the officer. 

The midday meal scheme includes supply of cooked food to schoolchildren which is prepared using rice, pulses, vegetables, egg, milk and coconut oil or palmolein. As of now, 12,327 schools and 25,84,156 students in the state are enjoying the benefits of the scheme. Now, seasonal fruits have been included in the menu for the midday meals. As per the government decision, the students get fruits such as mango, guava and gooseberries twice a week.