KALABURAGI: The hurdles in serving sambar to students of government and aided schools under Akshara Dasoha scheme (mid day meals), due to cost escalation of red gram and other pulses has been overcome to an extent as the Centre has released additional grants.
Sources told Express that the Centre has released Rs 50 crore in addition to the already sanctioned amount under the budget to meet the cost escalation of pulses.
Sources said most of the districts have completed the procedures of procuring red gram and other pulses for the month of December and the students would get sambar and rice regularly in a few days. The government has released the grant for purchasing red gram at the rate of Rs 7,400 per quintal in the budget. As the prices kept rising, the government stopped supplying red gram in November and asked the schools to serve sambar twice a week or depending on the availability. The authorities asked the schools to serve upma, coloured rice and pulav on the remaining days, sources said.