Panel suggests trial run before launch of food scheme for college students
HYDERABAD:As many as five ministers on Friday tasted the food to be provided to around 5 lakh college students by The Akshaya Patra Foundation. The ministerial committee, headed by deputy chief minister K Srihari, held its second meeting here to know the quality of food to be supplied by Akshaya Patra for the midday meal scheme to be extended to college students.
The organisers of Akshaya Patra went to the Secretariat along with cooked food and plates, and served the food to ministers Srihari, E Rajender, T Harish Rao, A Indra Karan Reddy and Jogu Ramanna. After tasting the food, the committee asked Akshaya Patra to submit the menu and the price list by August 6. “We will submit the Akashya Patra price list along with our report to CM K Chandrasekhar Rao who will announce his decision,” Srihari said.
The committee suggested to Akshaya Patra to conduct a trial run before launching the midday meal scheme for college students. It also wanted the NGO to increase the number of kitchens to be able to cater to over 5 lakh students of Intermediate, degree, Polytechnic, ITI, B.Ed, D.Ed and model junior colleges in all the 31 districts.
‘Open fair price shops in new village panchayats’
The cabinet sub-committee on civil supplies, which met at the residence of health minister C Laxma Reddy, recommended to the government to open fair price shops in all areas under the 4,000-odd new village panchayats which started functioning on August 2. Finance and civil supplies minister E Rajender chaired the meeting which discussed the possibility of increasing the commission for ration dealers. Though the state government is providing subsidised rice to 2.76 crore people, the central government is providing subsidy only in respect of 1.91 crore people. If the commission of ration dealers is increased, the financial burden on the state too will increase. Therefore, the committee decided to have a detailed study of this matter and submit a report to the chief minister.Another cabinet sub-committee, which met under the chairmanship of PR minister Jupally Krishna Rao, recommended regularisation of the services of new village secretaries.
Harish lays foundation of Kukatpally Rythu Bazar
Hyderabad: Irrigation minister T Harish Rao alleged that the Congress was obstructing the development in the state. ‘’Congress was deliberately filing cases in the court to stop the construction of the irrigation projects and power plants in the state,’’ Harish Rao alleged, after laying foundation stone for the modern Rythu Bazar in Kukatpally, to be constructed with an estimated cost of `10 crore, here on Friday. “As the Congress leaders in the state are obstructing to developmental activities, they have lost the confidence of the people,” Harish Rao said. Harish Rao, also marketing minister, said that the modern Rythu Bazar in Kukatpally would be spread over 50,000 square feet and it would be completed in six months.