The Odisha government has decided to increase the expenditure on the mid-day meal by ₹1 per student, considering the hike in the prices of essential commodities.

Following the rise in the prices of essential commodities, the school authorities are finding it tough to provide quality food to the students under the mid-day meal scheme. Rising vegetable costs have also remained a concern for the school authorities, and the prices of arhar dal have also touched ₹180 per kg.

Minister of school and mass education, Nityananda Gond, said: “There was a demand to increase the cost of the mid-day meal following the price rise in many essential commodities. We have decided to increase the meal by ₹1.”

“The primary purpose of increasing the cost of the mid-day meal is to ensure that the nutrition values are not compromised. The school authorities are finding it tough to provide the Mid-day meal as per the norms due to the increased prices of essential commodities. The increase in the cost of the mid-day meal would certainly serve the purpose,” he said.

The state government is currently spending ₹5.90 per meal for primary students and ₹8.82 per meal for upper primary students. However, the price rise of essential commodities, including potatoes, which has touched ₹50, is making things difficult.

The price hike has affected the quality of the food given to the children under the mid-day meal scheme. The prices of mid-day meal cost were last revised in October 2022.

Under the mid-day meal scheme, nearly 45 lakh primary and upper primary school students are given cooked food.

Odisha liquor case

One of the 15 people undergoing treatment at Odisha’s Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital for consuming spurious country liquor died on Tuesday night, police said.

The deceased was identified as Jura Behera, 60, from Jenapur near Chikiti.

Behera had been in the ICU since Monday night and had underlying health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure. He passed away at 12.30am during his treatment, the superintendent of the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College and Hospital, Suchitra Dash, said.

He was one of 20 people who fell ill after allegedly consuming adulterated liquor at Maoundpur village in Ganjam district on Monday.