Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Aug 21: The Odisha government has decided to increase the cost of the mid-day meal (MDM) for school students due to a significant rise in the prices of essential commodities. School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond announced on Wednesday that the cost per mid-day meal will be increased by Rs 1 to address the escalating expenses.
This adjustment aims to help schools maintain nutritional standards in their meals amid rising costs. Minister Gond noted that schools have been struggling to provide meals according to government norms due to the surge in prices.
Currently, the MDM expenditure stands at Rs 5.90 per meal for primary students and Rs 8.82 per meal for upper primary students. The last increase in meal costs was in October 2022, and the new adjustment will raise the cost per meal by Rs 1.
According to the PM-POSHAN database for Odisha, over 45 lakh students in 50,485 primary and upper primary schools across the state receive cooked meals. The menu includes rice with ‘dalma’ on Mondays and Thursdays, soya bean curry on Tuesdays and Fridays, and egg curry on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
