Submit feasibility proposal on extending Centre's school nutrition scheme to Class 10: Maharashtra CM

CM Devendra Fadnavis chairs a review meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on Monday. PIC/X

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday directed officials to examine extending the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme from Class 8 to Class 10 and submit a feasibility proposal, as part of a broader policy aimed at ensuring students receive fresh, nutritious and quality meals on time.

The scheme currently covers students from Classes 1 to 8. Fadnavis directed the School Education and Women and Child Development departments to formulate a joint policy for the scheme and issue necessary guidelines.

He also directed that decision-making powers be given at the district level based on local conditions, allowing authorities to choose the most suitable system for providing meals to students.

The directions were issued during a review meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme chaired by Fadnavis at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on Monday.

Fadnavis said centralised kitchens should be used in urban areas as well as in rural areas where the system is feasible. However, in remote and tribal areas where food from centralised kitchens may take too long to reach schools, alternative arrangements should be made through gram panchayats.

Before adopting the centralised kitchen model, officials should assess locally whether fresh and nutritious meals can be delivered to schools on time, he said. Wherever possible, the responsibility for meal distribution should be given to local self-help groups.

District collectors, chief executive officers of zilla parishads and municipal commissioners should take decisions based on local requirements and feasibility. Clear criteria should also be set for food quality, services and payment mechanisms, Fadnavis said.

The School Education and Women and Child Development departments should assess demand at the district level and coordinate the use of their available resources so that the benefits of the scheme reach students more effectively.

Fadnavis directed the departments to take a decision on providing the necessary administrative flexibility and powers at the jurisdictional level. Before preparing the joint policy, officials should consider suggestions from district collectors and chief executive officers of zilla parishads to identify local difficulties and necessary changes.

A joint proposal incorporating feasible suggestions should subsequently be placed before the state Cabinet, he said.

Focus on local food

Fadnavis directed district collectors to hold meetings of district-level nutrition committees and plan the inclusion of locally available protein-rich food items in students' meals. Zilla parishad chief executive officers should coordinate the process.

He also asked officials to consider nutritious options, including millet-based preparations, keeping local dietary practices and students' preferences in mind.

School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse suggested expanding the reach of centralised kitchens and providing funds to gram panchayats so they can take responsibility for supplying nutritious meals locally.

Bhuse also urged the state government to request the Centre to reduce the quantity of rice and increase the proportion of other grains in the meals. He said health cards were being prepared for school students and that health check-ups would henceforth be conducted in the presence of parents.

Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said her department was assigning the responsibility of supplying nutritious meals to 30 anganwadis in urban areas to ISKCON. The number of anganwadis covered under the arrangement would be increased after assessing its effectiveness, she said.

Tatkare suggested that district-level nutrition committees headed by district collectors should be given the authority to decide on the supply of nutritious meals based on local conditions and availability. She also suggested that fresh food based on local requirements should be provided instead of pre-mix or fortified products.

Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal suggested that maida should not be used in nutritional meals.

Scheme covers 85,206 schools

The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme is currently being implemented by the School Education Department for students from Class 1 to Class 8 in 85,206 eligible schools run by the state and Central governments, local self-government bodies, private aided and partially aided institutions.

As per Central government norms, students from Class 1 to Class 5 are provided meals containing 450 calories and 12 grams of protein, while students from Class 6 to Class 8 receive meals containing 700 calories and 20 grams of protein.

To introduce variety into the meals, 12 recipes have been finalised, including different types of pulao, khichdi, usal and varan-bhat, officials said.

School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare, Minister of State Meghna Sakore-Bordikar, Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, School Education Department Principal Secretary Ranjitsinh Deol, Women and Child Development Department Secretary Anupkumar, School Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh, Directorate of Municipal Administration Director Abhishek Krishna, Integrated Child Development Programme Commissioner Madhavi Sardeshmukh and ISKCON representatives attended the meeting.

Commissioners of all municipal corporations, district collectors and chief executive officers of zilla parishads participated in the meeting online.