Over 1.2 lakh children await mid-day meal food packets in Ludhiana

District authorities ask agency concerned to deliver food grains at the earliest, share route plan for transporting stock to schools

Even a week after the director public instructions elementary office instructed the district education officers to get the packets of food grains delivered at the doorsteps of students of Classes 1 to 8, the process of distributing the packets is yet to start in the district.

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The government schools are facing a shortage of food grains and the district authorities have written a letter on Thursday to the officials of Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (PUNSUP) to deliver food grains of the first quarter (April to June) at the earliest.

In the letter, it is also stated that the route plan to deliver the food grains will be intimated to the block primary education officer (BPEO) and school heads by the agency (PUNSUP) officials, so that the BPEO and school head remain available in the school to receive the stock of food grains.

As per the data of district education office, Ludhiana, over 1.2 lakh students are covered under the mid-day meal scheme in the district and it will be a challenging task to distribute food grains to such a large number of students at their doorsteps.

District education officer, elementary, Rajinder Kaur, said, “The agency officials have confirmed that the distribution process of food grain has started and the allotted stock will be delivered to government schools soon. To prepare the packets of food grains as per allotment, we will take permission from the deputy commissioner, Ludhiana, to open the government schools and to further deliver the stock to the students.”

However, the school heads of government primary schools and block primary education officers stated that they have just received the letter on Thursday and will abide by the orders. Block primary education officer, Mangat 1, Bhupinder Kaur, said, “We will follow the orders of the authorities. There are around 99 primary schools in our block and school heads will cooperate in these tough times.”

As per orders, a sealed packet of 1.2kg wheat and 1.2kg rice has to be delivered to the house of each primary student. Further, a packet containing 1.8kg wheat and 1.8kg rice will be delivered to each upper primary student at his/her doorstep. The food grains for 24 days (March 23 to April 14) will be delivered to the students and the funds of ₹107.52 for primary students and ₹161.04 for the upper primary students will be e-transferred in their bank accounts.

When contacted, senior assistant manager, Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (PUNSUP), Dilbag Singh, said, “The process to transport food grains has started for Ludhiana and by April 21, all the stock of the first quarter will be delivered to schools.”