IEP Chandigarh
The State Level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee for the Mid Day Meal Scheme (now PM POSHAN), which met under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal today, approved a budget of ₹658 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year, with the state contributing ₹457.26 crore and the central government contributing ₹200.74 crore.
Focus on Enhanced Implementation and Nutrition:
During the meeting, Chief Secretary Kaushal emphasized the need for “special attention to better implementation and utilization of the PM Poshan Scheme so that children can get nutritious and protein-rich food.” He urged officials to study best practices from other states and implement strategies to provide children with complete protein and nutritious meals.
Scheme Objectives and Improvements:
Emphasizing the scheme’s primary goals, Kaushal stated, “The main objective of the PM Nutrition Scheme is to increase enrollment and attendance, improve the nutritional status of primary school students by increasing their intake, and promote the universality of primary education.”
He further highlighted the revamped menu, featuring dishes like Parantha with Curd, Nutritious Bajra Chana, and Vegetable Pulao with Khichdi, ensuring both taste and nutritional adequacy.
Chief Secretary said that the PM Nutrition Scheme, implemented by the School Education Department, is being run in a total of 14,253 schools, including 8,671 primary schools and 5,582 upper primary schools in the state. These also include play ways, schools, and gardens.
Increased Honorarium for Cooks and Helpers:
He said that initially, the central government had set an honorarium of Rs 1,000 for cook-cum-helpers, comprising Rs 600 from the central share and Rs 400 from the state government’s share. However, the state government has now revised their honorarium to Rs 7,000. Under this revision, the state’s contribution is Rs 6,400, while the Centre’s contribution remains Rs 400. This significant increase underscores the government’s commitment to the well-being of workers in the mid-day meal program.
The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary of the School Education Department Shri Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department Shri Ankur Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Dr. G. Anupama, and Commissioner and Secretary P. Amneet Kumar.
