Chandigarh, In a major achievement, Punjab has bagged second position in implementing Mid-Day-Meal Scheme across the country. Punjab Education Minister Mr. Sikandar Singh Maluka said that under the mid-day meal scheme, over 19 lacs students are covered during current financial year which include 13723 primary schools and 6656 upper primary schools of Punjab.

Mr. Maluka further said that the government has provided an amount of Rs. 275.81 crore under the mid-day meal scheme for cooking cost, food grain, transportation of food grain and honorarium to cook-cum-helper and management. Besides this Rs. 8.60 crore have also been provided for utensils in all the government and government aided schools of the state. Minister also said that Mid-Day-Meal Scheme was being implemented efficiently in the schools of state and   students were being provided with a balanced diet for lunch in all the primary and upper primary schools. As a pilot project, schools falling in municipal limit of Mohali, Sangrur, Moga, Bhatinda and Nawanshehar the scheme are implemented through Non-government-Organizations (NGOs) that teachers could devote their full time for teaching.

The Minister said that the concerned officers have already been directed to ensure quality and quantity before lifting the food-grains. They would be held responsible if any complaint received regarding the quality of food grains. No laxity would be tolerated in this regard.   

The Minister further said that on-line scheme under Ashirwad Portal has been launched from 2013-14 for Post Matric for the students of SC and OBC. Under this scheme which students could submit their application on-line on their own and all process, sanction and payments have been made on line. 3.65 lakh students have been registered with portal till now where as 3.11 lakh applications have been received on line. As many as 206927 students belonging to Scheduled castes and 68429 students from OBC are registered with this portal which would get benefit during the current financial year.