Due to drought in Karnataka, the State government has ordered to extend the midday meal programme to schoolchildren in 223 drought-prone taluks during the summer vacation for 41 days from April 11 to May 28 for government and aided school children of classes 1 to 8.
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An order was issued by the Commissioner of the Department of School Education on March 30. Around 55 lakh government and aided school children from classes 1 to 8 will benefit. A total of ₹88.4 crore for the summer vacation midday meals programme, of which the Central share is ₹55.82 crore and the State share is ₹32.58 crore (60:40 ratio), has been released by the government.
The midday meals programme will end by April 10 for the academic year of 2023-24. According to the Centre’s Drought Management Manual-2020 Drought Mitigation Guidelines, the State government surveyed and declared 223 taluks out of the total 236 as drought-prone taluks.
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The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has instructed all the Block Education Officers (BEOs) and Deputy Directors of Public Instruction (DDPIs) to identify the central schools. If there is more than one school in the village under the drought-prone taluk, the government school or aided school with the most number of children among such schools should be identified as the central school.
It has been informed that the class 8 students of the high schools and the students of lower primary schools within a radius of one or two km from this central school should be included and action should be taken for distribution of midday meals.
The DSEL also made it mandatory for a consent letter from parents of children willing to receive the midday meals. The headmasters of schools should get the consent letter from the parents. The department has also taken steps to provide the summer vacation midday meals to children in their respective towns or villages. Information will be collected from the parents about where the children will be during the summer vacation, and which school should distribute the meals to the children.
B.B. Cauvery, Commissioner of Department of School Education said: “It is a regular programme during drought situation and it will benefit lakhs of students. Videoconference will be held with department officials on April 3 in this regard. According to data, we will implement th programme from April 11 across the State.”