Cooking for school mid-day meal LPG may replace firewood
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 17 2016:
It is said that the authorities have been working hard to replace firewood with LPG for cooking mid-day meal at schools.
According to information received from Education Department, maximum efforts are being invested to introduce LPG at 200 to 300 schools located in Imphal area for cooking mid-day meal by December this year on experimental basis.
If the experiment proves successful, LPG would be introduced in other schools too.
The new initiative is expected to reduce health hazards caused by using firewood in addition to lowering deforestation activities in hill areas.
LPG which would be given to schools would be subsidised.
Although Aadhar numbers are required for fresh LPG connections as far as private individuals are concerned, IOC is yet to work out the modality of issuing subsidised LPG to schools.
Monetary value of a meal given to a child under Mid-Day Meal scheme is Rs 3.86 for Primary level and Rs 5.78 for Upper Primary level.
The existing rates would remain in force till June this year.
The rates would be revised to Rs 4.15 and Rs 6.21 respectively from July.
Mid-Day Meal fund has been distributed at the rate of Rs 5000 per school to 1650 schools for the months of November and December last year.
A proposal for distribution of similar amount to 1980 schools is pending.
It is reported that the necessary funds may be released before March 21 .
Cooks engaged under Mid-Day Meal scheme are given just Rs 1000 as monthly honorarium and there have been many complaints against it not only within the State but also many other States.
The monthly honorarium may be hiked to Rs 2000 or Rs 3000 .
Necessary funds would be released in the last week of June to complete all kitchens sheds which remain incomplete in many schools till date, informed another source.