Assam to bring many students under Akshaya Patra mid-day meal scheme

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said around 10 lakh students across the state would be brought under the nutritious mid-day meal service of Akshaya Patra Foundation in the near future.

Sarma said this while dedicating the 65th Akshaya Patra Foundation's centralised kitchen at a solemn function held at Jorhat. On the occasion, besides visiting and inspecting the kitchen, the chief minister had lunch with the students.

Speaking on the occasion, Sarma besides hailing the Akshaya Patra Foundation for providing the nutritious lunch to lakhs of students, said he himself felt happy to have inaugurated the 65th kitchen of the foundation in Jorhat.

Sarma also said that to lend strength to the education system of the state, the government has taken several initiatives.

Built at the cost of Rs 14 crore, the kitchen can serve mid day meals to 12 thousand students from 157 schools at the initial stage. Subsequently, nearly 30,000 students will be benefitted from the kitchen.

The chief minister further said that the state government would give Rs 14 crore to Akshaya Patra Foundation for construction of a kitchen in Majuli. He also announced that the education department would enter into an understanding for constructing nine such kitchens in nine places of the state. Sarma also said that to lend strength to the education system of the state, the government has taken several initiatives. He also said that studying the feasibility of infrastructure including teachers, steps would be taken to introduce English as the medium of instruction along with the existing Assamese and vernacular languages in government schools.

On the occasion, Sarma also paid rich floral tributes to Swami Srila , the founder of ISKCON, popularly known as the Hare Krishna Movement.