Kolkata: Bengal govt will bring in another one lakh students under the midday meal (PM POSHAN) scheme from Oct 1 to eventually extend this balanced meal programme to every student in all govt and govt-aided schools across the state, CM Suvendu Adhikari posted on Thursday.Presently, the PM POSHAN service is being implemented through a joint initiative between state govt and Annamrita Foundation, an affiliate of Iskcon.“In the first phase of the project, which began on Aug 1, the responsibility of delivering nutritious, freshly cooked meals to approximately 30,000 students via a centralised modern kitchen was entrusted to the organisation. It has demonstrated great responsibility in preparing food using automated and hygienic methods, maintaining prescribed calorie and protein standards, and ensuring timely delivery,” the CM wrote.He added that building on the initial success, state govt further expanded the service to include an additional 15,000 students, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 45,000.Adhikari extended his gratitude to officials of the foundation for delivering this service with great efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of quality.The state school education department has revoked the approval granted to The Akshaya Patra Foundation to serve midday meals across state-run schools in four districts: North 24 Parganas, Howrah, East Midnapore and Purulia. However, the Annamrita Foundation continues to serve midday meals in Kolkata and other parts of Bengal.The revocation comes amid an ongoing legal feud between Iskcon and Iskcon Bangalore; Iskcon Bangalore operates The Akshaya Patra Foundation, whereas the Annamrita Foundation is run by the main Iskcon body. State govt’s Sept 11 order did not specify the reasons for cancelling Akshaya Patra’s approval.
