Schools instructed to cook midday meal

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 10

City government schools have been instructed to prepare midday meal on their premises from August 16. Such instructions were passed to the schools a few days ago, but the Punjab School Education Board decision was rolled back soon.

The decision comes in the wake of “sub-standard” food being served to the students under the contract system. The midday meal is a Central Government scheme started in 1995 to provide free meals to the students during lunch hours. The meal is served to the students of government schools in primary and upper primary sections. Cooks and helpers are also hired under the programme.

The scheme not only ensures that nutrition is provided but also acts as a mechanism to have better attendance. The government schools located in rural areas are already following the pattern. The department has also asked the school heads to issue identity cards to helpers and cooks in a prescribed format. The schools will have to maintain a register for keeping an account of the ration, vegetables, while wheat is provided free of cost to the schools.

Deputy Education Officer (Elementary) Bhupinder Kaur said, “The schools will start with the system on August 16. Cooking cost will be provided to them. They will be provided with free rice and wheat. The move aims to cover all the government schools located in the city. It is compulsory for the schools.”