VISAKHAPATNAM: The midday meals scheme was launched at 450 government junior colleges in the State on Wednesday. HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao launched it at Government Women’s Junior College in Visakhapatnam.
A total number of 1,74,683 Intermediate first and second-year students will benefit from the midday meal scheme. In Visakhapatnam, there are 36 junior colleges with 16,025 students. The minister said that the midday meal scheme was launched in schools for students of Class I to X to check dropout rate, now the same has been extended to junior colleges for getting best results. For the project, an estimated budget of Rs 56.53 crore would be spent every year in junior colleges. In the first phase, Rs 23 crore was sanctioned.
Ganta said that along with the midday meal scheme, the government was providing all facilities such as digital and virtual classrooms.
Later, the minister, Higher Education commissioner B Udaya Lakshmi and MLA V Ganesh Kumar had midday meals with the students.
Fast facts
450
Total junior colleges
1,74,683
Total students
Rs 56.53 cr
Annual budget