Ganta launches mid-day meal for junior colleges

Visakhapatnam: HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao inaugurated Mid-Day meal programme at Visakha Government Junior College for Women near VUDA Central Park here on Wednesday. The state government introduced Mid-Day meal scheme in 450 junior colleges covering 1.74 lakh intermediate students across the state from this academic year. 

The government estimated Rs 56.53 crore for the programme annually and as a first part of payment, it released Rs 23 crore. Speaking on the occasion, Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that over 16,025 intermediate students, studying in 36 junior colleges in Visakhapatnam district would benefit under the programme. The government introduced the programme to increase the pass percentage in colleges, he added.

Stating that the government was spending Rs 25,000 crore on education, he said and added all the government schools and colleges have been developed to compete with the corporate institutions. Inaugurating the digital classrooms at Visakha Government Junior College for Women, the minister said that with the help of the NRIs, the digital and virtual classrooms being establishing in all the government institutions.

College Education Commissioner B Uday Lakshmi said after the quality food being served in schools, the dropouts’ number has come down and added the government was giving top priority to develop and create infrastructure in all the colleges. Later, the minister, commissioner, MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, DEO B Lingeswara Reddy and principal T Radha had lunch along with students.