The Department of Food and Nutrition Technology, Jadvapur University, and Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology at Taratala have been asked to make an assessment of the midday meal scheme and suggest alternative food items to increase the nutritional value but keeping within the budget.

Incidentally, with effect from December 1, there has been 30 paisa per child increase in the midday meal programme and the allocated funds per child has increased to Rs 2.88 at primary level, throughout the country. Along with this, 100 grams of rice is provided per child by the Central government.

With the spiraling cost of essentisal commodities, however, head-masters of various institutions have been claiming that they are unable to arrange proper meal for the children in the allocated resources.

For example, the price of dal has shot to Rs 100 per kg and potatoes are available for Rs 20 per kg.

“We have asked the agencies to suggest alternative means of nutrition, while keeping the cost low,” said Bikram Sen, Principal Secretary of the School Education Department.

“We have received a proposal from them, based on which two set of districts would be surveyed by the two institutes and they will come up with their reports on what changes can be made in the diet of students under the mid day meal scheme,” he added.

“It is very difficult to make the calorie requirements available to the children in such a low cost. But we are trying to make the alternative menu based on what is available locally so that the cost does not go up,” said Uptal Roy Chowdhury, a professor at Food and Nutrition Technology Department at Jadavpur University.

According to Roychowdhury, the department is likely to suggest changes like that Soyabeens to be replaced with dal, including vegetables like spinach which are produced locally. Based on the availability of commodities in a particular district, the institutes will suggest an alternative diet.

The state government has, meanwhile, also sent a proposal to increase the cost of cooking to the state finance department.