Fried rice for Rs 6.78! Is this a joke or what?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fried rice for Rs 6.78! Many eyes, including those of headmasters, rolled in shock spotting the new menu of the midday meal scheme. The inclusion of posh culinary favourites, biryani and fried rice, comes at a time when school authorities are still mired in the crisis over implementing the old nutrition midday meal scheme. According to the latest order, the cost of midday meal is Rs 6.78 for lower primary and Rs 10.17 for UP. This includes cooking gas, transportation cost of goods, vegetables and fruits.

Almost 60 per cent of the midday meal comes from the central government, while 40 per cent is taken care of by the state. But the nutrition scheme belongs to the state.

While a litre of milk costs Rs. 58, the government pays just Rs. 52. The government share for an egg is Rs. 6, while the market price remains at Rs. 8. A child is given 300 millilitres of milk per week. The price for this is Rs. 15.60. The market price is Rs. 17.40. In such a situation, the primary school teachers are forced to bear a loss of more than Rs. 4 per child to implement the scheme.

There is also a need to increase the number of cooking workers according to the revised menu. The norms demand two cooks for 100 children, but as of now, just a single cook is managing affairs for more than 500 children. Teachers say that two cooking workers and one helper should be appointed according to the new menu. Their promised incentive of Rs 50 has been stalled for almost four years now.

“The new nutritious menu is a welcome move. But the amount should be increased according to the menu. Two cooks should also be appointed for every 100 children,” said K. Abdul Majeed, President, KPSTA.