Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the ‘Hot Cooked Meal Scheme’ for children aged 3 to 6 years in Anganwadi centres of the state from Ayodhya on Friday. This initiative involves providing 70 grams of food grains per beneficiary per day in the form of hot-cooked meals to children in co-located Anganwadi centres.
With the commencement of this scheme, guidelines have been issued by the Department of Basic Education for the implementation of the ‘Hot Cooked Meal Scheme’ in co-located Anganwadi centres for children aged 3 to 6 years registered at Anganwadi centres.
As per the guidelines, workers and helpers of co-located Anganwadi centres, as well as the kitchens of primary and upper primary schools, have been instructed to work together to prepare mid-day meals and hot cooked food and serve it to the children.
Food to be distributed during winter and summer vacations
Vijay Kiran Anand, the Director of Midday Meal, and Director General of School Education, has issued guidelines to all Basic Education Officers on this matter. It has been said that the arrangement of food grains and other ingredients including pulses, vegetables, oil, spices, fuel, etc., for preparing hot cooked food will be ensured by the Department of Child Development Services and Nutrition at the co-located Anganwadi centres. Mid-day meals and hot cooked food will be prepared jointly by the cook and Anganwadi helper and distributed to the children.
To facilitate the preparation of hot-cooked food along with midday meals, an additional incentive of 0.50 rupees per child per working day (for children in Anganwadi centres) will be transferred to the accounts of the helpers by the Department of Child Development Services and Nutrition under the PM POSHAN scheme. The responsibility of timely delivery of meals to Anganwadi centres located within a radius of 200 meters from primary and upper primary schools, as well as distributing hot and fresh meals to children, will be the responsibility of the respective Anganwadi helpers.
The entire responsibility of preparing and distributing hot cooked food during winter and summer vacations will be of the concerned Anganwadi worker and assistant.
Hot cooked food will be prepared along with a mid-day meal
उत्तर प्रदेश के सभी आंगनबाड़ी केंद्रों पर पंजीकृत 03 से 06 वर्ष के बच्चों को गर्म भोजन उपलब्ध कराए जाने हेतु आज श्री अयोध्या जी से ‘हॉट कुक्ड मील योजना’ का शुभारंभ और ₹403 करोड़ की लागत से 35 जनपदों में निर्मित होने जा रहे 3,401 आंगनबाड़ी केंद्रों का शिलान्यास हुआ। इस अवसर पर… pic.twitter.com/Or6EmOglYl
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 24, 2023
The hot-cooked food will be prepared along with a mid-day meal for children of 3 to 6 years of age registered in Anganwadi centres located in primary and upper primary schools as well as located within a radius of 200 meters from the school, i.e. co-located Anganwadi centres. This hot-cooked food will be distributed as per the mid-day meal menu (except fruits and milk) during the prescribed lunch period in schools only.
The decision regarding the affiliation of Anganwadi centres will be made by the respective District Magistrate, determining which school’s kitchen within a 200-meter radius of primary and upper primary schools will prepare food for the centre. Anganwadi workers will provide assistance to cooks in preparing hot-cooked food.
In schools where voluntary organizations are providing mid-day meals, the selection of voluntary organizations for co-located Anganwadi centres, following the joint guidelines of Child Development Services and Nutrition, will be carried out by the District Program Officer.
Special emphasis on cleanliness
उत्तर प्रदेश के सभी 75 जनपदों में आंगनबाड़ी केंद्रों पर पंजीकृत 03 से 06 वर्ष के बच्चों के लिए आज जो ‘हॉट कुक्ड मील योजना’ प्रारंभ हुई है, इसे प्रभावी बनाना है…
सभी प्यारे बच्चों को शुभकामनाएं! pic.twitter.com/HJIz5ywuX9
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 24, 2023
For co-located Anganwadi centres serving hot cooked meals to children aged 3 to 6 years from primary school kitchens, the responsibility of bringing the meals from the primary school kitchen to the Anganwadi centre and serving the meals to the children while maintaining cleanliness will be assigned to the respective Anganwadi helper. This arrangement will also apply to Anganwadi centres located within a 200-meter radius of primary and upper primary schools.
The Anganwadi helper will also be in charge of keeping the utensils used in hot-cooked meals clean and ensuring that all children’s hands are washed before and after meals. Additionally, the Anganwadi helper will be responsible for arranging a clean space for feeding hot-cooked meals.
