Centre gives nod to Goa’s plan to serve eggs in midday meal

May 30, 2022 02:05 AM IST

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The decision by the project approval board of the PM POSHAN scheme under the Union ministry of education is expected to benefit 900,000 children.

Close to a lakh schoolchildren in Goa will soon have an egg as a supplement in their midday meals three times a week after a central supervisory board approved the state government’s proposal, according to minutes of an official meeting.

In 2020, the Goa government announced it would add eggs in the school midday meals, but the plan was delayed because schools closed in the wake of the pandemic. (HT file photo)

The decision by the project approval board of the PM POSHAN scheme under the Union ministry of education is expected to benefit 900,000 children. The board asked the state to start providing the eggs by December this year to “mitigate the nutritional challenges” posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Centre has accepted our proposal. Our schools are reopening from June 6 after the summer break. We will resume the cooked midday meals, including eggs, after that,” Goa education director Shailesh Zingde said. “For children who don’t eat eggs, the state will come up with an alternative nutritional item.”

In 2020, the Goa government had announced it would add eggs in the school midday meals. The plan was delayed because schools closed in the wake of the pandemic. Under the midday meal scheme, renamed PM POSHAN in 2021, one hot cooked meal is served to students till Class 8.

“After detailed discussions, PAB PM POSHAN approved the proposal of state to provide supplementary nutrition items i.e. egg thrice in a week for 30 days spread over two months to 90,000 primary school children at an estimated expenditure of ₹131.27 lakh comprising of ₹78.76 lakh as central share and ₹52.51 lakh as state share,” the minutes of the meeting approved on May 24 read.

The cost will be shared in a 60:40 ratio by the Centre and the state.

“In order to mitigate the nutritional challenges posed by Covid-19, the state is advised to provide the supplementary nutrition items by the 3rd quarter of 2022-23. This expenditure will be met from the funds available with the state (recurring central assistance + state share),” the minutes read.

Last week, the Centre had approved the Karnataka government’s proposal to extend its pilot initiative to serve eggs in seven districts lagging in socioeconomic indicators. The state has decided to extend the initiative despite opposition in different quarters.