Mid-day meal scheme marks success in Northeast: HRD

Aizawl, Sep 18 (UNI) Human Resource Development Ministry has appriciated the performance of Northeastern states in implementation of National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (Mid-Day Meal Scheme) during this year.

Education department officials here today said that about 68.15 lakh children were covered under the scheme in NE states for which Rs. 167.96 crore was released out of the amount of Rs. 334.50 crore for the region this year.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme has been revised in June last to provide a balanced cooked meal of minimum 450 calories and 12 grams of protein as against the earlier stipulation of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein. Sources added that the Central assistance has also been revised for NE states. The Union government is spending Rs.

1.80 with mandatory contribution of 0.20 paise by the states per child per school day, which was marked as a success.

According to statistics, under the scheme Arunachal Pradesh has covered 2,18,905 children in 2,470 institutions while 47,95,759 children in 38,322 institutions of Asom, 2,95,096 in 2,965 institutions of Manipur, 5,97,555 in 7,640 institutions of Meghalaya, 1,04,300 in 1,423 institutions of Mizoram, 1,73,598 in 1,654 of Nagaland, 98,000 in 871 of Sikkim and 5,25,645 in 5,226 of Tripura have been covered this year.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme is the largest school nutritional programme in the world covering nearly 12 crore children in more than 9.5 lakh primary and pre-primary schools. India launched the scheme in August, 1995, to give a boost to primary education and to improve nutritional status of children at primary stage.

UNI BB-SNR PC RD 1050