PANAJI
Goa government has finally signed a contract with the Bengaluru-based Akshaya Patra Foundation to commence supply of mid-day meals to around 5,000 students on a trial basis from the next academic year, provided they comply with all required permissions including license from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
The State government in August 2023 had finalised Akshaya Patra Foundation to supply mid-day meals in those schools, where currently no Self Help Groups (SGHs) are providing meals. Akshaya Patra is said to have been selected as an alternative to SHGs in case of emergencies.
Highly placed sources informed that the Directorate of Education, earlier this month, signed the agreement with the Akshays Patra Foundation. The Foundation has been granted four months time to set up a centralized facility including kitchen and to obtain all the requisite permissions.
“The Foundation will have to obtain a FDA license for the supply of meals to students. The NOC from the Health Department is also mandatory, which will be provided after conducting the inspection. Once they obtain these permissions, the Foundation will have to approach the Education Department, who will then inspect the facility and other infrastructure, before giving the go-ahead,” sources said.
Sources also said that the government will ask the Foundation to supply meals to around 5,000 students on a trial basis from the new academic year. “If the Foundation is ready with infrastructure and permissions then it can start the mid-day meals supply from June or latest by July,” sources said.
Sources said that the department has identified certain schools where there were issues pertaining to the quality of the food. “We will start with those schools initially,” sources said.
Sources said that the Foundation will be paid in lines with SHGs and PTAs that is Rs 8 per student per day for 100gms of the meal at the pre-primary (of government and government-aided schools) and primary level, and Rs 10 per student per day for 150gms of the meal for upper primary school students.
Also, the meal menu is fixed which does not include refined flour or maida. Dishes such as mixed vegetable idlis and mix vegetable pulao, chole chapatti, vegetarian korma and potato bhaji are served.
Last year in August, the Directorate of Education had renewed a one-year contract with 98 SHGs and nine Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), who are currently supplying the meal to 1.60 lakh students across Goa.
