Thiruvananthapuram, 19 August (H.S.):The Kerala government is willing to extend the school mid-day meal scheme, currently available to students up to Class 8, to Classes 9 to 12, General Education Minister N. Samsudheen said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at the state-level inauguration of the distribution of special Onam rice to students at Pattom Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Union government had sought Kerala’s opinion on expanding the centrally sponsored PM POSHAN scheme to secondary and higher secondary students. The state conveyed its consent during a meeting held in Delhi last month, Samsudheen said.

Describing food as a fundamental right, the minister said a welfare state had a responsibility to ensure that no citizen was deprived of it. He added that the government wanted every family to celebrate Onam without financial hardship. Samsudheen also wished students success in their Onam examinations.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob, the chief guest, said around 23.5 lakh students in government and aided schools would receive four kg of rice each. The initiative would benefit an equal number of families, he added.

A total of 905 metric tonnes of rice is being distributed through Supplyco under the initiative of the General Education Department.

Jacob said the Civil Supplies Department, Consumerfed and the Agriculture Department were taking coordinated measures to control rising prices in the open market during the festival season.

He said nearly 90 per cent of the Onam kits meant for Antyodaya Anna Yojana families had already been distributed. The kits would be made available at all ration shops in the coming days.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan presided over the event. Senior education officials, local body representatives, Supplyco officials, teachers and students attended the programme.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman