Kolkata, September 15 (Daily Kiran) : The West Bengal government has rescinded its approval for the Akshaya Patra Foundation to provide mid-day meals in four districts. This decision affects government schools in North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Purulia, and East Midnapore, the latter being the home district of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
An official from the state secretariat, Nabanna, confirmed that the previous arrangement of preparing and serving mid-day meals within school premises will be reinstated. However, another branch of ISKCON, the Annamrit Foundation, will continue to prepare and serve mid-day meals in government schools under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
After the BJP came to power in West Bengal, ISKCON was tasked with providing mid-day meals to school students. Initially, the organization began its work in KMC schools, and the state government announced that if the project succeeded in Kolkata, it would be expanded to other districts. Consequently, the Akshaya Patra Foundation was assigned to deliver mid-day meals in Howrah, Purulia, North 24 Parganas, and East Midnapore. However, the state government decided to withdraw the approval before the program could commence. No clarification has been provided by officials regarding this sudden decision.
Initially, the state government’s choice to allow ISKCON to serve meals in schools faced criticism from opposition parties and civil society. Critics argued that the vegetarian meals offered by ISKCON would deprive students of protein-rich options like eggs. However, the controversy subsided when the Chief Minister announced that eggs would be included alongside ISKCON’s vegetarian meals. Additionally, the budget allocation for the mid-day meal scheme was increased.
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