Eggs to be given only once a week in Karnataka govt schools’ midday meals until July 15
Meanwhile, the state government is also mulling to extend the distribution of eggs to 80 days a year and make it available for high school students as well this academic year.
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Eggs are being distributed under the Centre’s PM Poshan scheme in the Kalyan Karnataka region where malnutrition is high. (File) The Karnataka school education department on Tuesday issued an order directing government schools to provide eggs in midday meals only once a week, as opposed to the usual norm of providing it twice a week.
The order will be effective for four weeks, until July 15, when the budget is presented by Chief Minister Siddaramiah. The chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, will present his record 14th state budget on July 7.
An official with the midday meals department said, “This is only a temporary measure because we are running on a notional budget. Once the full budget is presented, funds will be allocated for midday meals and the distribution of eggs will return to twice a week.”
Eggs are being distributed under the Centre’s PM Poshan scheme in the Kalyan Karnataka region where malnutrition is high. However, the then BJP government had extended the provision of eggs voluntarily to all the districts of the state in 2022. Under the provision, eggs would be distributed 46 days a year and twice a week.
The state government is also mulling to extend the distribution of eggs to 80 days a year and make it available for high school students as well this academic year. Currently, only students from classes 1-8 are eligible for eggs in midday meals. For those students who don’t prefer eggs, the government is substituting it with bananas and chikkis.
This year, there are also talks in the school education department to include sprouts as part of midday meals. However, the department is yet to decide whether the procurement of sprouts would be through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) or the open market, which could prove to be costly.
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