Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (RD/GA)

Mangalore, Jun 7:  As the Government intended to extend Akshara Dasoha (Mid-day hot meals) project to whole of DK district, 80,810 high school students would likely to be served with mid-day hot meals from Jun.15, 2007.

Mid-day meals will be provided to the students from VIII std to X std in 247 high schools including 38,825 students from 142 Government High Schools and 41,883 students from 105 aided high schools from this academic year.  Accordingly, three months' financial aid of Rs 65 lac has been already released.  Despite of government directive to commence the project by the end of June, it would be implemented in the DK by June 15, 2007, said sources of the department.

Every student will be provided with 150 grams of rice, 25 grams dal, 8 grams oil and 4 grams salt. The schools are being categorized according to the strength of the students. Those with less than 300 students and those with students ranging between 300 and 500 are categorized as A.  Those schools where students' strength exceeds 501 and less than 1,000 are categorized as B and those schools whose student strength exceeds over 1,000 are categorized into C, besides those schools who student strength lies less than 300 are grouped into neighbouring primary schools.  There are nearly 80 schools whose student strength is less than 300 students, in DK. 

For transporting the mid-day meals to these schools from the neighbouring primary schools an allowance of Rs 500 per month and Rs 3,500 worth of utensils will be provided along with a kitchen help.  One chief cook and 3 kitchen helpers/assistants will be provided to A category of high schools while one head cook and 4 kitchen assistants will be provided to B category  besides one head cook and 5 kitchen helpers will be provided to C category.  The salaries of head cook and kitchen assistant are fixed at Rs 850 and Rs 450 respectively.