Bhubaneswar: Students of state-run and aided schools in Odisha will be provided eggs in midday meal and nutrient-rich laddoos thrice a week from April 1, coinciding with Utkala Dibasa.In a letter to the state nodal officer, PM POSHAN Programme, Bhubaneswar, the School & Mass Education Department informed that one additional egg and other protein and iron rich supplements will be provided to both elementary (Class 1-8) and secondary (Class 9-10) students in schools from the upcoming financial year.The extra egg , which will be provided on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and other protein supplements will cost the state exchequer Rs 372.80 crore annually.The laddoos will be distributed among the students on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday during the morning assembly. The cost of a laddoo has been fixed at Rs 3.50. “The laddoos will be prepared from ingredients like groundnut, sesame, millet and jaggery. These ingredients are rich in fibre, iron and healthy fats which can act as good source of energy to all students enrolled from Class l to X in the government and government-aided schools covered under PM POSHAN scheme,” said the official letter.Last month, the government announced to extended the cooked meals provision to around 8 lakh students studying in Class 9 and 10 from FY 2025-26 and the proposal also got the nod on March 26. “Total financial implication amounting to Rs 570.71 crore annually to be borne from the State Budget under the scheme,” it added. Besides increasing nutritional levels, the decision is aimed at enhancing enrolment, attendance and retention of students in secondary schools.Since its inception in July 1995, the Mid-Day Meal programme provided cooked meals to primary school students in government and government-aided schools from Class I to V throughout the state. Students of Class 6, 7, and 8 (upper primary) were included under the scheme in April 2008.In September 2021, the scheme was renamed PM-POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) by the Ministry of Education.From the academic year 2025-26 onwards, ail primary schools in the state will also open an additional pre- school class called ‘Sishu Vatika’, where children in the age group of 5-6 years will be admitted. These will be made functional from April 2.
