Students to get food allowance for missed mid-day meals in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The Centre has asked the state government to pay food security allowance to students of government schools in lieu of mid-day meals, which were not served to them due to the educational institutions remaining closed during the 77-day lockdown.
The Union human resource development ministry has written to all state governments to make arrangements for payment of food security allowance to the students for the days schools had remained closed during summer and thereafter due to the coronavirus-forced lockdown during which time the mid-day meals were not provided to the pupils.
In Telangana, there are over 18 lakh students who are eligible for the food security allowance in lieu of mid-day meals. The state government has been spending nearly Rs 300 crore per annum on the mid-day meals scheme, with financial support from the central government too. A senior official of the school education department told TOI that the state government would take a final call on how to extend the financial benefit to the students in lieu of mid-day meals. “There is no clarity when the schools will re-open due to the rising number of coronavirus cases. So, the modalities have to be worked out to extend food security allowance to the students,” the official added. Enquiries by TOI revealed that Rs 6.17 per day is spent on each student towards mid-day meals that comprises cooked rice and dal. The menu changes every day such as rice and sambar on some day and vegetables along with rice on another day. “Telangana is the only state in the country which provides super fine rice to the students as part of mid-day meals,” an official said.
Centre had a word of praise for the state government, which was spending money from its pocket to provide either an egg or banana to each student thrice a week as part of the scheme