1,194 cooks cook delicious food for schoolchildren

As many as 56,833 students from first to 10th standard are benefited by the midday meals programme in Kodagu district.

Akshara Dasoha is an ambitious programmes of the state government, which aims at providing midday meals to students of government and aided schools.

Midday meals is provided in 406 primary schools, 10 aided primary schools, 47 government high schools and 48 aided high schools in the district.

As many as 25,878 students from first to fifth standard, 18,673 students from sixth to eighth standard and 12,192 students in ninth and 10th standard are benefited by the scheme.
The government has earmarked Rs 435 lakh for mid-day meals in Kodagu district for 2012-13, out of which, Rs 108.75 lakh has been released.

There are 494 kitchens in various schools. As many as 1,194 cooks render their service to prepare delicious food. Nearly 250 kitchens were sanctioned during the year, out of which, works on 247 have been completed and the work on three kitchens are under progress, said DDPI (in-charge) P S Machado.

With the help of the Centre, students in government, aided, migrant children schools, Madrasas and alternative education centres are provided with midday meals by the state government. Zilla panchayat, taluk panchayat and SDMCs have taken up the responsibility to implement the scheme.

Under Akshara Dasoha, the Centre provides 100 gm rice for children from first standard to fifth standard and 150 gram rice for a child studying in sixth to eighth standard. Along with rice, toor dal, oil, and salt are supplied to schools.