|
|
|
| Govt to replicate APF model |
|
| Tuesday December 26 2006 11:56 IST - New Indpress.com |
BHUBANESWAR: Inspired by the success of Banglore-based NGO Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) which has been feeding over 27,000 school children of 203 primary schools in Puri district under the mid-day meal scheme, the State Government has taken initiative to replicate the model in other districts.
The Government has invited proposals from NGOs and voluntary organisations to take up the mid-day meal scheme on the model of APF on public-private partnership (PPP).
Although the Bangalore-based NGO is delivering cooked food from a centralised kitchen located at Puri town, the Government would prefer to have a decentralised model where quality food could be prepared at each primary school maintaining same standards of hygiene adopted by the Foundation, Women and Child Development Secretary Mona Sharma told this website's newspaper .
Skill development of members of women self help groups (SHGs) involved in the MDM programme will the first step in this direction, she said, adding, Ranpur block of Nayagarh district has been selected as a pilot block.
The SHG members will be educated on preparation of hygienic food manually as against the mechanised cooking by the Foundation, she said.
Presently, 23,000 women SHGs are involved in MDM programme and plans are afoot to involve more SHGs, Sharma said.
The APF is also preparing to roll out the Puri model to other parts of the State and it has targeted to cover one lakh students, operating manager of the foundation Panchatantra Das said, exuding confidence. The schools to be covered under the subsequent phases are being worked out, he added.
The NGO is feeding over 5.5 lakh school children under the MDM scheme in five States including Orissa. The other states are Andhra Pradesh, Karanataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. About 3.30 lakh school children are being fed by the NGO in Karnataka alone.
While each meal supplied to students costs the Foundation Rs 8, the State Government is only providing a matching share of Rs 2.14 per meal.
The Government has also decided to decentralise the procurement of dal, egg and spices required under the MDM scheme and these items will be procured by SHGs. The food items to be procured by SHGs will be used only after being certified by the mother committee, she said.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20061226013512&Page=Q&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0 |
