Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata

Kolkata, Jul 30: The West Bengal government on Wednesday sought to end the controversy over the inclusion of eggs in mid-day meals, announcing that students will continue to receive eggs even as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) begins supplying cooked meals to schools in Kolkata.

The clarification came amid concerns that eggs would be removed from school menus after the government entrusted ISKCON with preparing mid-day meals in parts of the city.

Under a pilot project beginning August 1, ISKCON will provide satvik, protein-rich cooked meals to students in several schools across Kolkata, while eggs will be supplied separately through self-help groups (SHGs), the government said.

The move follows criticism from opposition parties, which alleged that children would be deprived of an important source of protein and accused the government of promoting vegetarian food habits through the school meal programme.

The government, however, maintained that the new arrangement would ensure students continue to receive balanced and nutritious meals.

Announcing measures to strengthen the scheme, the government said the allocation for mid-day meals has been increased from Rs 6.78 to Rs 10 per student per day.

It also distributed grants to 80,375 government and aided schools under the Samagra Shiksha Mission.

In addition, the government said all vacant teaching posts in government schools would be filled and around 50,000 teachers would be recruited.

The announcement comes at a time when teacher recruitment continues to remain a sensitive issue in the state following allegations of irregularities in appointments, with several officials and political leaders facing investigation in the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.