Kerala ready to extend mid-day meal scheme to Classes 9–12: Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, August 19

The Kerala government has expressed its willingness to extend the school mid-day meal scheme to students from Classes 9 to 12, General Education Minister N. Samsudheen said on Wednesday.

At present, meals are provided only to students up to Class 8 under the centrally sponsored PM POSHAN programme.

Samsudheen said the Union government had sought Kerala’s opinion on expanding the scheme to secondary and higher secondary students. The state conveyed its consent at a meeting held in New Delhi last month, he added.

The minister was speaking at the state-level inauguration of the distribution of special Onam rice to school students at Pattom Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Thiruvananthapuram.

Describing access to food as a fundamental right, Samsudheen said a welfare state must ensure that no citizen is deprived of it. The government wanted every family to celebrate Onam without facing financial difficulties, he added. The minister also wished students success in their Onam examinations.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob, who attended the programme as the chief guest, said around 23.5 lakh students studying in government and aided schools would receive four kilograms of rice each. The distribution would directly benefit an equal number of families across the state.

A total of 905 metric tonnes of rice is being supplied through Supplyco under the initiative of the General Education Department.

Jacob said the Civil Supplies Department, Consumerfed and the Agriculture Department were implementing coordinated measures to check rising prices in the open market during the Onam festival season.

He said nearly 90 per cent of the special Onam kits intended for Antyodaya Anna Yojana families had already been distributed. The remaining kits would be made available through all ration shops in the coming days.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan presided over the function. Senior education officials, local body representatives, Supplyco officials, teachers and students attended the programme.