Akshaya Patra promises quality mid-day meals

“Lack of quality and taste is is stopping school children to take mid-day meals that are being served which is resulting in the number of drop outs. Akshaya Patra foundation, which is pioneering in the scheme is finally going to replace the mid-day meals scheme for the students and that of the unorganised labors at a subsidised prices with good quality,” said MP Kesineni Srinivas here on Monday.

He inaugurated the Akshaya Patra chapter of Vijayawada along with Police Commissioner Gautham Sawang, VMC Commissioner G Veerapandiyan and others at a programme held in the city. Speaking on the occasion, Mp Srinivas said that he was impressed by the foundation’s work towards providing quality food to the children of government schools in Karnataka.

“When I visited their kitchen, I was surprised to see how they utilise machinery to cook for lakhs of students at a time with less human effort. I wanted them to come to Vijayawada and serve food for our children and workers in Auto Nagar. Support from the VMC is appreciable and we were able to find out 3000 square yards of place in Auto Nagar to set up a kitchen which will have the capacity to produce food for as many as 20,000 per day.”

Srinivas further added that they would expand the services by offering a fixed menu for Rs 5 and Rs 7 for commoners and labour to utilise. Temporary kitchen at Mangalagiri is also under construction while there is a lookout for space in Thulluru for establishment. He donated an amount of Rs 10 lakh towards the foundation’s activity.

Police Commissioner D Gautham Sawang said that it is a noble gesture and it would definitely leave a mark in the society. The fallouts of the mid-day meals scheme would be rectified through the intervention of Akshaya Patra and we would be happy to extend our cooperation, said he. VMC Commissioner G Veerapandiyan speaking on the occasion said that out of 35,000 students who are eligible for mid-day meals scheme, only 17,000 are utilizing the services which accounts to 47 per cent of the whole.

It is however identified that lack of quality and taste, sometimes not following the menu as the reason behind poorer response to the scheme. Akshaya Patra’s initiative of serving the food will bring out a massive impact among the school children, who will not drop out due to this cause.

President of Akshaya Patra foundation, AP and Telangana Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, president of Vijaaywada and Guntur region Maha Vishnu Dasa, deputy Mayor Gogula V Ramana Rao, president of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industries P Bhaskar Rao, ILA president Prasad, vice president of APBA K Pattabhi Ram and others were present during the programme.