Jalandhar: In a move to bolster the immunity system of students, Punjab government is going to provide supplementary nutrition in two aspirational districts of the state under Mid-Day-Meal scheme in the current academic year of 2021-22.
Along with the meal, bananas would also be given to students in Moga and Ferozepur districts of the Punjab as the Union ministry of human resource development (MHRD) in the recent meeting of the Programme Approval Board – Mid Day Meal (PAB-MDM) has given its nod to the state education department for serving bananas as supplementary nutrition in MDM scheme to students.
The development came after MHRD had raised concern for not providing supplementary nutrition to students in these two districts in the previous academic session despite the state’s commitment to ministry. The ministry pointed out even the state education department did not submit any proposal for supplementary nutrition in the last academic year.
Following this, the Punjab education department had proposed to provide bananas to 1, 42, 247 enrolled children in Moga and Ferozepur district at the cost of Rs 5 per child. Each student will get one banana for 74 days.
The expenditure of supplementary nutrition will be met from the funds available with the state, which include center’s assistance Rs 3.15 and state’s share of Rs 2.10 crore, according to minutes of the meeting, TV Punjab has a copy of the meeting.
The minute reads, “PAB observed that state did not even submit the proposal for supplementary nutrition under flexi fund component as was committed by them in the PAB meeting of 2020-21. PAB advised the state to see feasibility of providing supplementary nutrition to children especially in aspirational districts and districts having high prevalence of malnutrition.”
The meeting of the Programme Approval Board – Mid Day Meal (PAB-MDM) of the MHRD was held through video conferencing, to consider the annual work plan and budget 2021-22. Krishan Kumar, secretary education department, Inderpal Singh Malhotra, Assistant Project Director (MDM) and Prabhcharan Singh, General Manager, MDM were present in the meeting.
Assistant project director, MDM, said Inderpal Singh Malhotra confirmed the development and said that they have submitted a proposal to provide milk or bananas as supplementary food to increase the nutritional value of MDM food.