Guwahati, Sep 4 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the Mid-Day meal scheme has greatly benefitted the poor families, and the state government has also introduced free uniforms and free admission schemes, which together have created a healthy educational environment in the state.

He added that model schools established in tea garden areas are drawing significant attention from parents and the public. As a result, school enrollment in tea garden areas has been steadily increasing every year.

The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone and performed Bhumi Pujan of a centralised community kitchen at Durrung Tea Estate, Singrijan in Rongapara, Sonitpur district.

The facility to be built over 1,718 sq. meters, will include staff quarters, a training centre, a multipurpose hall and utility and security blocks.

Sarma recalled his visit to the ISKCON temple in Bengaluru in 2009, when he was Education Minister, where he was deeply impressed by the temple’s kitchen and food supply system.

The Chief Minister said that, inspired by this, he initiated the first centralised kitchen in the Jalukbari constituency with the Akshaya Patra Foundation. For the past 10-12 years, this kitchen at Amingaon has been serving mid-day meals to 45,000 students and also providing meals to hospital attendants and patients.

CM Sarma also said that under this initiative, a centralised kitchen has already been set up in Jorhat, catering to 20,000 students.

Another is nearing completion in Majuli by the end of this year. Construction of such kitchens has also begun in Nalbari, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur recently. The new kitchen at Rongapara will cover schools across Tezpur, Rongapara and Barchala constituencies, benefiting nearly 25,000 children with clean, nutritious meals.

The Chief Minister mentioned that the state government will spend Rs 25 crore on this project, while the Hare Krishna Movement will build a temple at the site.

Funding for mid-day meals will be shared, with 60 per cent borne by the state government and 40 per cent by Akshaya Patra Foundation. Students in tea garden areas will be among the biggest beneficiaries, he said.

Sarma also said the government is considering providing breakfast for students in tea garden areas, as many parents leave early in the morning for work. A proper breakfast, he noted, would help children study in a more stable environment.

–IANS

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