The Punjab government has decided to set up centralised kitchens through NGOs for the supply of quality cooked mid-day meals to the students in primary (classes I to V) and upper primary schools (classes VI to VIII) within the municipal limits of eight districts in the state. It may be mentioned here that mid-day meals are being provided to more than 18 lakh students in the state.
in the first phase eight districts namely Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bathinda, SAS Nagar, Sangrur and Moga would be covered and more than one centralised kitchen would be set up in each district. He informed that tenders had already been invited from NGOs with condition that the cooked mid-day meal should be as per norms fixed by the Government of India.
it was noticed that the schools were witnessing difficulties in running this scheme as there were problems ranging from lack of experienced cooks, refilling of LPG cylinders, purchase of spices lack of concentration amongst students during the whole cooking process.
He was confident that the new arrangement would ensure that the place for cooking is more hygienic and the inspection of cooked food could also be undertaken at a single spot resulting in saving of time and expenditure.
It may be mentioned here that under midday meal scheme students of primary schools were being provided 100 gm wheat/rice with 3.89 paise cooking cost each. Similarly, 150 gm wheat/rice with 4.33 paise cooking cost is the criteria for an upper primary student (Class VI to VIII). An NGO has already been supplying mid-day meal in Nawanshahr and Ferozepur districts.
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