Hyderabad, Jul 17 (IANS): The Telangana government on Friday decided to serve mid-day meals to students of government junior and degree colleges in the state from the new academic year.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao made the announcement aimed at providing nutritious food to the students and to check the dropout rate.

He observed that the students are leaving the colleges during lunchtime but are not returning for post-lunch classes and that this is increasing the dropout rate in the government junior and degree colleges.

Former Minister C. Laxma Reddy informed the Chief Minister that Jadcherla Government College lecturer Raghuram is providing mid-day meals to the college students by spending money from his pocket.

Laxma Reddy and Raghuram met the CM to discuss setting up of the botanical garden at Jedcherla Degree College. The chief minister congratulated both of them.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said that the government realised the importance of providing mid-day meals to the students in the colleges. On the request made by Raghuram, he sanctioned a new building for the Jedcherla Government Junior College.

The CM has instructed the officials concerned to take Jedcherla Degree College as an inspiration and set up botanical gardens in all the government degree colleges in the State.