More than 10,173 MTs of foodgrains Released for Himachal Pradesh under Mid-Day Meal Scheme

for Ministry of Human Resource Development | Date - 17-10-2008

Backgrounder

National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (commonly known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme) today is the largest school nutritional programme in the world covering nearly 14 crore children in more than a million Primary/Upper Primary schools/ Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS)/Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) centres. The Scheme provides a hot cooked meal of a minimum 450 calories and 12 gms of protein for children attending Primary schools (classes I to IV) and 700 calories and 20 grams of protein for children attending Upper Primary schools (classes VI to VIII) . Under the scheme, Central assistance is provided to States/ UTs for the following components:

Free foodgrains of 100 gms (Rice/wheat) per child, per school day at primary level and @ 150 grams per child per school/ day at upper primary level.

Cooking Assistance @ Rs. 1.58 for Primary ( Rs. 1.89 for North Eastern states) and Rs. 2.10 for Upper Primary ( Rs. 2.415 for North Eastern states) per child, per school day and minimum mandatory contribution of Rs. 0.50/- by the State Government.

 Reimbursement of transportation cost upto Rs. 125 per Quintal. for special category states, including Himachal Pradesh.

 Assistance for Management, Monitoring and Evaluation @ 1.8% of (i) to (iii).

 Assistance for construction of kitchen sheds @ 60,000 per unit and provision of kitchen devices @ 5000 per school.

The main objectives of the Mid- Day Meal Scheme are as under:

Encourage school enrolment and attendance, especially girls and children of disadvantaged groups.

Faster social equality

Promote gender equality

Prevent classroom hunger

Progress in Himachal Pradesh ( 2008-09 ) upto September:

                                                                                                                        (Rs. In lakhs)

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KKP