New Delhi: The West Bengal government has directed the district administration to provide an additional egg to students under the mid-day meal scheme. The order was aimed at enhancing the nutritional support for the students, who get food under the government scheme, said an official.
Order of education department of West Bengal
In a n order the West Bengal School Education Department instructed the District Magistrates and Sub-Divisional magistrates to ensure that 81,19,415 students from Classes 1 to 8 are provided either 1 egg or a seasonal fruit for 12 days, in their mid-day meals.
The state government has marked Rs 8 per student in its budget, to cover the cost of this additional food.
An education department official quoted by ‘The Print’ said that this programme of providing additional eggs and a seasonal fruit is to be implemented in this financial year itself. This financial year ends on March 31,2026.
The department said that the expenditure for the extra eggs and fruit would be borne from the unutilised funds already allocated to the various districts for the mid-day meal scheme.
BJP attacks West Bengal government
Following the announcement, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government in the state came under attack from the Opposition BJP. The party questioned why the need to provide ‘nutritional support’ to students was being felt now. They questioned the state government’s intent behind the move.
Party leader, Rahul Sinha wondered as to why the issue of “nutritional support to children” was not addressed earlier. He wanted to know why the state government remembered about it only during the election year.
However, the Education Minister Bratya Basu countered the BJP’s charge. He said, “Those who are trying to link the issue with elections must know it has been the usual practice by this government every year. An issue like the mid-day meal menu for our children should not be politicised.”
Teachers in the state-run schools however welcomed the move. They termed it as a positive step and urged the government to enhance nutritional support throughout the year.