State to seek enhanced grants for Mid-day meal scheme: Kageri

Udupi, July 4(UNI) Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education minister Visveswara Hegde Kageri has demanded the union government to enhance grants on Mid-day Meal scheme following steep hike in the inflation.

Addressing newspersons here today Mr Kageri said that over 75 lakh students have brought under Mid-day Meal scheme in the state however it is becoming difficult to manage from the present budgetory support given by the center for the scheme with the rising inflation rate.

Demanding the center to enhance the grants in communuserate with the hike in inflation rate Mr Kageri said that the scheme had helped in reducing the school drop out rate and needs to be strengthened further.

He said that those who were involved in preparing the mid-day meal for students were also demanding increase in honorarium being paid to them. "About 90000 coocks were engaged in preparing the Bisiyuta (Mid-Day meal)" he said.

He said that the state government was in favour of holding re-exam to Pre-university examination to give another chance to those students who could not write exam due to 'Bharath Bandh' called by VHP and other organisations.

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