State government to distribute ration kits to students

Bengaluru: In a major decision, the Department of Education has decided to provide ration for children instead of mid-day meals. The State government suspended mid-day meals in schools since the Covid-19 lockdown in March.

According to the reports from the education department, it has been decided that ration kits will be provided for 108 days (June to October) to children from class I to 10 in a phased manner, the number of days counted except general holidays. In the first phase, ration kits for 55 days will be distributed for June and July. The second stage will be for a 55-day period in August, September and October. In the first stage, the children will be provided rice, wheat and toor dal.

The sources from the government says that Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (KFCSC) has already submitted a list of food grains needed for 55 days in June and July. "The procurement process is over, and supplies are in progress across Karnataka. The districts in which the organization has already supplied food grains should immediately begin distribution to children. The Department of Education has ordered the authorities concerned to immediately distribute food grains to taluk and districts where food supplies are not available," says a senior official.

Following closure of schools after outbreak of Covid-19 in March, midday meal was stopped, and the State government had provided ration kits that included rice and toor dal for three months till May. As many as 48 lakh children from classes 1 to 10 in government and aided schools depend on the midday meals. Many parents also pointed out that as their livelihoods were affected owing to the pandemic, the nutrition levels of the children were also affected. A majority of the children in these schools come from lower socio-economic backgrounds and marginalised communities.

A group of nutritionists, doctors, activists, lawyers, and citizen have made the government to come up with this decision. In a petition they stated that "shocked and concerned that the government has not been providing the legally mandated midday meal or even dry rations since June to children enrolled in government-run and government-aided schools, which is a gross violation of their right to food and nutrition guaranteed under the National Food Security Act 2013. They have also said that the milk powder under the Ksheera Bhagya programme should be supplied to the students."