Panji, Sep 21 (TNN): Goa officials have informed Union human resource development ministry officers that the state has a meager supply of green and leafy vegetables and it makes difficult to include the iron-rich veggies in the state's midday meals supplied to school students.

The then Goa education secretary Keshav Chandra informed at a midday meal review meeting held in Delhi in June this year "procurement of green and leafy vegetables is a problematic area in Goa due to less supply."

Central government officials were told that Goa is in the process of revising its midday meal menu and will ensure that the state meets the minimum nutrition value needed per meal under the scheme.

""State representatives informed that children like pao bhajji and sheera as midday meal, but they don't like pulao,"" the minutes of the meeting state.

Goa was also questioned about lack of utensils to eat midday meals in and about children having to carry lunch boxes, containers and bowls from home. Goa officials informed that the state had not procured any kitchen devices as yet and a proposal for Goa to purchase 1521 utensils was approved.