ROURKELA: If everything goes as expected, about 45,000 students of classes IX and X in government schools across the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district may start getting mid-day-meal (MDM) in a week with the district administration making the requisite arrangements.
Under the ongoing national MDM programme renamed as PM-POSHAN, cooked meal is provided to students from classes I to VIII leaving out the high school students. Demands were raised from various quarters to provide meals for high school students in the tribal-dominated district as students come from poor background.
Sources said last year the district administration gave necessary fund approval from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). Accordingly, about 45,000 students of 384 government high schools including Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas and aided high schools would be covered under MDM scheme.
Sundargarh would be the second district in Odisha after Jharsuguda to provide noon meal to high school students with DMF support.
Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali had informed the fourth meeting of the Sundargarh Zilla Parishad (ZP) on November 21, 2023 that provision was being made for providing noon meal to Class IX and X students.
District education officer and district project coordinator to Samagra Siksha Abhiyan AK Pradhan said associated activities like opening of separate bank accounts by schools, engagement of cook-cum-helpers and procurement of utensils by certain schools would be completed in a week.
“Arrangement for additional allotment of rice for Class IX and X students has already been made and the specially-designed MDM scheme for high school students in Sundargarh may be launched within a week to fortnight’s time,” he said.
The DEO further said government schools of Rourkela and adjacent Bisra blocks would be covered with the central kitchen of Akshay Patra Foundation, while rest would make their own cooking arrangement.
MDM coverage
45,000 high school students of 384 government high schools to be covered
Funds approval from the District Mineral Foundation
Opening of separate bank accounts by schools
Engagement of cook-cum-helpers and procurement of utensils to be completed in a week
Additional allotment of rice for Class IX and X students made
Schools of Rourkela city and adjacent Bisra blocks would be covered with the central kitchen of the Akshay Patra Foundation