Bengaluru, Jun 21 (IANS): The Congress government in Karnataka has issued an order on Wednesday to provide school children studying from Class 1 to 8 with either eggs or bananas.

The circular in this regard has been signed and released by Shubh Kalyan Director of PM Poshan, School Education department and directed the staff of the aided and unaided school across the state to provide boiled eggs to students as nutrition supplement. For those who are not eating eggs, bananas or chikki (a sweet dish made of groundnut and jaggery) would be provided.

The supplements would be given along with midday meals to eradicate malnutrition and anemia. The egg or banana would be given once in a week from August 20 till the further government orders in the first phase.

The schools are directed to procure eggs/bananas/chikki at Rs 8 per piece.

Earlier, the Karnataka government's decision had triggered a controversy in the state. The decision had angered a section of the society who demanded that eggs shouldn't be distributed in school premises as it encourages discrimination among school going children.

Another section supporting egg supplement to school children claimed that this project shouldn't stop as protein supplement is badly needed by students. They maintained children who have better access to better nutrition have better education outcomes.

The BJP-JD (S) coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy had rolled back its project of distributing eggs to school children in 2007 succumbing to pressure from religious groups. However, the previous BJP government implemented the scheme.

Then Education Minister B. C. Nagesh had stated that the project has been implemented amid people opposing and vouching for it. "There is no substitution for egg as such. There is soyabean, but children won't eat it. The project has been implemented with an intention to address malnutrition among children," he had stated.