No student left hungry: Bihar govt ensures uninterrupted midday meals for 1.3 crore students

Patna: In a move aimed at ensuring that schoolchildren do not miss their daily meals, the state govt has taken a step to guarantee uninterrupted midday meals for around 1.3 crore students studying in govt schools across Bihar.

Director of Midday Meal Scheme, Vinayak Mishra, has asked all districts to prioritise LPG supply for cooking meals, emphasising that no meal should be skipped. To address potential LPG shortages, the govt coordinated with oil companies like Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Indian Oil Company Limited (IOCL) to ensure a steady supply of cylinders. In case of emergencies, schools can temporarily switch to firewood, but this is not encouraged.

The director said IOCL promised to provide gas cylinders to schools on a “priority” basis, making it clear that the excuse of fuel shortage will no longer hold.

Putting a check on rumours of gas shortage, the director said, “There is no shortage of LPG stock in the state. All 38 districts were directed not to let the supply chain break. Oil companies gave written assurance that the quota of cylinders for schools will always remain full, so that along with education, the nutrition drive also keeps running.”

If, in any extremely unforeseen situation, LPG runs out, will the children go hungry? The answer is absolutely not. The department has kept the old alternative arrangement active under ‘Plan-B’. In such a situation, the school will have to cook food using firewood, but this will be permissible only in the “rarest of the rare” cases.

He added, “The headquarters did not issue any new order anywhere to cook food using firewood. This is merely an emergency arrangement that already exists. The primary goal is a smoke-free kitchen and timely meals. Any official who shows negligence in this supply chain will face strict action.”