Kolkata: The West Bengal School Education Department on Saturday issued a notification authorising the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to provide mid-day meals in all state-run and state-aided schools in the state.
Till now, ISKCON had been providing mid-day meals in state-run and state-aided schools within the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
However, as per the notification issued on Saturday evening, ISKCON had been, henceforth, authorised to provide mid-day meals in all state-run and state-aided schools throughout the state.
As per the notification, a copy of which is available with IANS, all schools in the state are being brought under the Union government’s scheme of Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman or PM Poshan scheme, and under this arrangement ISKCON had been authorised to provide mid-day meals in all state-run and state-aided schools in the state.
After the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in the state, new rules were introduced for the provision of midday meals.
ISKCON was given the responsibility of providing mid-day meals to provide nutrition to school children. It was started in government schools in Kolkata in August.
However, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had announced at that time that although it was being started on an experimental basis, the responsibility of mid-day meals to ISKCON would be given to all districts of the state in a phased manner.
A notification was recently issued saying that mid-day meals would be provided to government schools in Howrah and Purba Medinipur. However, it was withdrawn later.
On Saturday, a fresh notification has been issued authorising ISKCON to provide mid-day meals to all government schools throughout the state.
However, this system will be implemented in all districts in a phase-wise manner.
As per the notification, to prepare this mid-day meal, a suitable place for the central kitchen will have to be identified. For this, the concerned district administration will cooperate with ISKCON authorities.
As per the present system, while ISKCON is providing nutritious vegetarian food as mid-day meals, eggs are provided separately to the students, arranged by the women-run self-help groups.
The same system will prevail throughout the state now, a source from the state school education department said.
–IANS
