Amid lockdown period in the country due to coronavirus, schools across the nation have been closed. Because of this, students not getting mid-day meals, therefore, Uttarakhand government has now made the decision to give food safety allowance along with 150 grams of rice to students.
Uttarakhand Government to give food safety allowance to over 6 lakh students
Mukul Sati, who is the additional state project director for Samagra Sikhsha Abhiyan in the state stated that all the schools have been asked to give day-to-day food safety allowance as well as rice to the guardians of students.
“As there are many students who are not getting mid-day meals throughout the lockdown, we asked all district education officers to ensure that guardians of students are given per student cooking cost as food safety allowance and up to 150 grams of rice,” said Mukul Sati.
There are more than six lakh children who get mid-day meals in the state, which consist of students from the primary section as well as middle section. The cooking cost for per student sums to around Rs 4 for primary section along with Rs 7 for middle school. Together with this, students from the primary section are also given 100 grams of rice and 150 grams of rice for middle school.
Sati also added that the students are being given the food safety allowance beginning from March 13 till the lockdown concludes.
Mukul Sati also added, “We are constantly monitoring whether students are getting the allowance and the ration. We have received reports that allowance for the month of March has been given in districts like Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Chamoli,”
Previously in March, the Uttarakhand government had also made the ecision to use schools as shelters for all those who are stuck in the state. Now, they are being given food under the midday meal scheme as cooks, ration as well as other facilities are by now accessible. Uttarakhand comprises of total number of 16,735 schools, comprising primary, upper primary, high school along with intermediate.
Arvind Pandey, who is the minister for school education of Uttarakhand had directed the school education secretary for making sure that the government schools in the state are turned into shelter homes for the migrants who are stuck in the state, anyplace where there is a need.
The minister after a review meeting with officials from the districts, stated, “In view of the crisis caused due to the coronavirus epidemic, the midday meal scheme of the state which is already run by the education department will be used for providing food and water to daily wage labourers, helpless and poor in any given area,”
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