West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari Inaugurates ISKCON’s kitchen ; where mid-day meals will be prepared for 44,000 students of 500 schools in the city

Picture : ANI/X

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has  inaugurated ISKCON’s kitchen, where mid-day meals will be prepared for 44,000 students of 500 schools in the city, and said his government decided to provide eggs separately following students’ demand, and not because of the opposition’s criticism.

As reported by PTI, Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration programme of the mega kitchen in Kolkata, Adhikari said he did not need to pay heed to the opposition’s demands since the people voted the BJP to power with an overwhelming majority of 208 MLAs in the state assembly.

“The menu of ISKCON meals includes dal, rajma, soya bean and paneer, all of which have high protein content and, with the additional seasonal fruits, make up for wholesome nutrition of students. We chose to provide eggs separately because students and guardians requested a non-veg item,” the chief minister said.

Adhikari earlier had  announced his government will separately provide eggs to students in mid-day meal, though the responsibility of cooking and supplying meals in all government and government-aided schools in Kolkata would be undertaken by ISKCON as a pilot project from August 1.

“We will do what the people ask us and not what the opposition or some media person tells us to do. We already have the people’s blessing with 208 MLAs,” the chief minister said.

The mindset of people had been wired in a particular manner about dietary habits because of governments that ruled the state for the last 49 years — 39 years of Left rule followed by 15 years of TMC — created this misconception, he said.

Now that a nationalist government has assumed power, that illusion will also change slowly, he added.

Adhikari took part in a ‘yajna’ before formally opening the kitchen facility of Annamrita Foundation, a wing of the ISKCON, in Taratala in the south-western part of the city and also lent a hand in cooking the day’s meal for students.

He also flagged off electric vehicles that will transport the cooked meals to schools.

The project is based on an agreement inked between the state school education department and ISKCON.

“Initially, ISKCON will serve mid-day meals to 44,000 students in 500 schools in and around Kolkata. Within the next three months, mid-day meals will reach 2.5 lakh students, and in due course, we will extend the facility to the entire state. We have enhanced budgetary allocation for pre-primary and primary sections to Rs 10 per meal per student,” he said.