Children gather for lunch during the midday meal programme at a school in Kittur taluk
In rural Belagavi, NGOs provide 80% of meals, while 20% are prepared in school kitchens.
Laxman Rao Yakkundi, a district official for the PM Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme, said four models were being used to supply meals in Belagavi district. Leelavati Hiremath, deputy director of the school education and literacy department, Belagavi, said the proposal for one kitchen centre per cluster would be examined, and information on its advantages and disadvantages gathered. Belagavi : The school education department is examining a proposal to prepare midday meals at cluster-level kitchens instead of individual schools to reduce teachers’ non-academic workload. Joint director of PM Poshan Shakti Yojana has asked district authorities to assess the proposal’s feasibility and submit reports on its advantages and challenges before govt takes a final decision. State School Teachers’ Association proposed the arrangement, saying it would allow teachers to concentrate on academics. NGOs supply meals to all schools in Belagavi city. Schools elsewhere in the district use their own kitchens.