Telangana plans mid-day meal in govt colleges

​Hyderabad: Minister’s Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari on Saturday discussed ways and means to implement the state government’s new mid-day meal scheme in the government-run junior, degree, model junior colleges, polytechnic, BEd and DEd colleges.

Attended by Finance Minister Eatala Rajender, Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy, the Minister’s Committee held its first meeting with the senior officials and representatives of Akshaya Patra to figure out the action plan to implement the new scheme that benefits nearly 5 lakh students in various government-run colleges. 

The committee has asked the representatives of Akshaya Patra which has been implementing the mid-day meal scheme to the schools in the state to come up with three kinds of proposals for the implementation of the new scheme.

That apart, the committee has also asked to submit a proposal to provide mid-day meal prepared with foxtail millet, kodo millet, red millet, pearl millet, besides brown rice, pulihora, upma and the like.

Apart from roping in the Akshaya Patra, the committee has also discussed on sourcing food from the hotels and food messes located in the vicinity of the colleges to implement the mid-day meal scheme.

The committee has decided to hold a detailed discussion by taking into all aspects and the proposals in its second meeting scheduled to be held on August 3. Representatives of the Akshaya Patra were asked to come along with their proposals to the next meeting. 

Special Chief Secretary Education Rajeev Ranjan Acharya, Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE), Secretary Dr A Ashok, Rashtriya Madhyamika Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Joint Director Ramesh and other senior officials participated in the meeting.