Schools told to use Bengal gram as tur dal prices soar
The schools are permitted to use tur dal for preparing sambar four days in a week
By : shyam sundar vattam
Update: 2015-11-03 07:40 GMT
Bengaluru: With the price of tur dal hitting the roof, the state department of public instruction has instructed school authorities to use the cheaper Bengal gram while preparing midday meals for kids once in a week. However, the schools are permitted to use tur dal for preparing sambar four days in a week.
Sources in the education department told Deccan Chronicle that it was forced to take such a drastic step in the wake of price of tur dal touching an all time high of Rs 200 per kg. It is mandatory for the authorities concerned to use 30 gram for kid from first to fourth standard and 50 gram on students from fifth to tenth standard so as to improve their nutrition levels.
Lakhs of children studying in government and aided educational institutions are provided with midday meals daily under the 'Akshara Dasoha' scheme. The sources admitted that mid day meal preparation had been hit ever since the price of tur dal went up beyond the rate fixed by the union government. The government of Karnataka had appointed Karnataka State Food and Civil Supply Corporation (KSFCS) as a nodal agency to supply cereals and pulses to all schools.
Delay in tender process:
Due to hike in tur dal price, there was delay in finalising the tender process and it had a cascading effect on the preparation of midday meals too. Funds were not available to buy tur dal at the market price. In view of this, the department got '50 crore additional fund sanctioned from finance department to procure tur dal for the period starting from November, 2015 to March 2016.
The money would be distributed to accounts of chief executive officers of zilla panchayats to call tenders for the supply of good quality of tur at prevailing prices. “We have sent circular to the authorities of all schools to use tur dal four days and chikpea (bengal gram) once in a week. Besides, the school managements are given free hand to select any locally available pulses with high nutrition to be given regularly to students.
“We do not know when the price of tur dal will come down and till then, we are forced to switch over to locally available pulses. However, there is no question of comprising with nutrition of students. The school authorities may contact KSFCS in case of difficulty in procuring locally available pulses,” sources noted.