To continue the halted noon-meal scheme due to COVID-19 lockdown, the state has decided to provide food grains such as rice, dhal, and other provisions to more than 42 lakh children studying in state-run schools to continuously meet the nutritional requirements, which was considered very vital during the coronavirus outbreak.

A senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next that the children have already received dry ration quota for May and now they will be receiving June and July allotment. As per the proposal, each primary section student will get 3.1 kg of rice and about one kg of dhal and other items per month.

Likewise, students in the upper primary section will get 4.6 kg of rice and 1.25 kg of dhal. Children in both categories will also get additional dhal in lieu of Bengal grams under the state’s Puratchi Thaliavar MGR Nutritious Meal Programme. Accordingly, the State will be providing food grains to 23,71,316 children studying in primary and 18,89,808 children studying in upper primary sections for the month of June and July.

However, there was a slight delay in the distribution of dry ration to the kids due to a case, which was pending in the High Court with regard to the supply of eggs along with dry ration. The official pointed out that as the case is over in the court, the distribution of dry ration has started according to the indent sent by the respective schools.

“Time slots have been allocated to the parents to come to the school and collect their kid’s quota of dry rations for avoiding crowd”, he said adding “as per the HC order, eggs were also supplied to the students along with dry rations”. The official also pointed out that the distribution of dry ration to the children would continue until the reopening of schools across the State.