Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 4: In Dakshina Kannada district alone, 225 government schools are in urgent need of new kitchens to prepare midday meals, as existing facilities have fallen into disrepair. The problem reflects a statewide crisis, with more than 8,500 school kitchens across Karnataka deemed unfit for use.

The Department of School Education and Literacy had, in December last year, directed all deputy directors and block education officers to survey the condition of cooking rooms in government and aided schools. The report revealed that 8,533 kitchens were no longer usable.

In January, the then Principal Secretary of the department wrote to Chief Executive Officers of all zilla panchayats, instructing them to take up new kitchen construction under the MGNREGA scheme. The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department had also given its approval and issued separate guidelines.

However, despite eight months passing since the directive, progress has been slow. Head teachers allege that district administrations have failed to prioritise kitchen construction. Not even 500 kitchens have been repaired or rebuilt so far, sources said. The department is now preparing to issue fresh reminders to districts.

Across Karnataka’s 46,000-plus government and aided schools, nearly 48 lakh students from classes 1 to 10 receive hot midday meals daily under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme. While some urban schools are supplied by organisations like ISKCON and Adamya Chetana, most rural schools depend on on-site cooking facilities. Properly equipped kitchens are essential for food storage, cooking gas, vessels, and safe preparation, officials noted.

District-wise demand

Chitradurga district has reported the highest need, with 631 kitchens requiring replacement, followed by Mysuru (443), Chikkodi (416), Vijayapura (415), Mandya (411), Belagavi (382), Kolar (370), Madhugiri (362), Tumakuru (346), Kalaburagi (338), Shivamogga (333), Chikkamagaluru (297), Chikkaballapur (285), Koppal (280), Sirsi (259), Haveri (260), and Davangere (245). Dakshina Kannada accounts for 225 such schools. In other districts, the number of unusable kitchens ranges between 11 and 200.