NMC plans centralized kitchen for midday meals for students

Nagpur: Following the example of Pune Municipal Corporation, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) plans to set up its own centralized kitchen for midday meals for the around 20,000 students in Nagpur. With the district administration’s similar plan for a centralized kitchen system not materializing, the civic body has, for now, extended the work order of the women self-help groups for preparing and supplying midday meals to the students.
For the last six years, NMC had extended its system of preparing and supplying midday meals to its 172 primary schools. Total 151 women SHGs were appointed to prepare the midday meals. The civic body was also providing other meals and snacks apart from khichadi to students, by spending some amount from its pocket.
After the state government notification, the district administration had sent a letter to NMC asking it to stop its arrangement. The district administration told NMC that midday meals to civic body schools will be provided by centralized kitchen system being finalized for all aided schools of the city. Therefore, NMC had not signed agreements with women SHGs for the 2016-17 academic session. Some days ago, NMC received a letter from the district administration asking it to continue its own system till further orders.
NMC schools will be opening for the new academic session on June 27, so NMC has asked women SHGs to continue the work till further orders.
Ruling party leader Dayashankar Tiwari told TOI tentative approval has been given to set up NMC’s own system. “NMC wants to continue facilitating other types of meals and snacks to its students. Also, NMC does not want to dump women SHGs, which are earning from the work. Pune Municipal Corporation has finalized its own arrangement. NMC will inform the district administration once it has finalized the NGO for setting up the system,” he said.
Tiwari added talks are on with Bengaluru-based Akshaya Patra Foundation, which prepares midday meals for around 1.40 million students across 10 states in the nation. “Actually, NMC planned to run midday meal through Akshaya Patra in 2009-10, when Atul Patne was additional municipal commissioner. I had seen Akshaya Patra’s system at Bhilai and was delighted. However, the project did not materialize. Akshaya Patra provides full meal instead of khichadi at the rate given by the government. Municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar held a meeting with representatives of Akshaya Patra and is finalizing the deal now,” he said.
NMC will place two conditions before Akshaya Patra to accommodate 151 women SHGs in its centralized kitchen system, and provide meals and snacks just like the women SHGs have provided for the last six years.
Mayor Pravin Datke said midday meal system will improve further in case NMC sets up its own system in association with Akshaya Patra.