Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday constituted a committee to review and address the nutritional needs of students covered under the PM POSHAN scheme. The committee will propose measures to improve the program’s better implementation across the state, according to a notification issued by the School and Mass Education (S&ME) department today.
The State Nodal Officer for PM POSHAN in Odisha has been designated as the chairperson of the committee. It also includes representatives from the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, and the World Food Programme, alongside representative from the Health and Family Welfare Department and the Director of Secondary Education, Odisha as Members.
This move comes as the Centre recently revised the material costs for midday meals (MDM) under the PM POSHAN scheme, increasing them by ₹0.74 for primary students and ₹1.12 for upper primary students. Consequently, the cost per midday meal has risen from ₹5.45 to ₹6.19 for Bal Vatika and primary students, and from ₹8.17 to ₹9.29 for upper primary students.
Under the PM POSHAN scheme, students from Classes I to VIII receive one hot cooked meal daily. Recently, the Odisha government announced an additional ₹1 hike in MDM costs in the state, further supporting the nutritional needs of school children.
The committee’s recommendations are expected to enhance the nutritional quality and efficiency of the scheme, benefiting millions of students across Odisha.
