The Hindu

Mangalore, Jun 10: Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat will provide mid-day meals to 2.65 lakh students in the district this year. The "Akshara dasoha" scheme of the State Government will cover 1,69,416 students of government primary and high schools and 95,890 students of aided-schools across the district.

A press release from education officer, in-charge of the scheme, Dayavathi here, stated that the panchayat was implementing the scheme in Mangalore taluk in association with International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Last year, 11,826 students of 60 schools in the taluk had been covered under the scheme.

This year, the authorities have included 10 more schools from Surathkal area in Mangalore taluk. The number of students to be covered this year will increase to 14,224, comprising 11,634 students from primary and 2,590 from high schools. The Government provides 100 gm rice and conversion cost of Rs. 1.61 for a student of aided-schools, every day.

The allocation for high school students is 150 gm rice and Rs. 2.13 conversion cost. "The Government pays Rs. 83.37 lakh to ISKCON to provide mid-day meals to 14,424 students for 220 days during the current year. This payment covers the cost of 3,414.18 quintals of rice and Rs. 53.34 lakh conversion cost and Rs. 19,000 transportation cost.