AMRITSAR: Punjab State Food Commission Chairman B.M. Sharma said that the Punjab government has decided to establish nutritional gardens in 5, 073 schools of the state keeping in mind the future of school students . Orders have been issued by the Punjab government in this regard. Sharma was addressing a conference on the theme ' Connecting Agriculture , Nutrition and Wellness' during the 19th Punjab International Trade Expo being organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry today.
He said that Punjab has no shortage of food grains , but providing quality food to the residents of Punjab is a big challenge. He further said that while farmers are being encouraged to adopt crop diversification , to provide a better future to children , schools have been selected where there is vacant land. For this, herbal gardens, fruit gardens and vegetable gardens are being developed by training teachers . These fruits and vegetables will become a part of the mid-day meal of the children , ensuring that they are provided with quality food at the school level. Sharma said that many schools in the state have been identified with three to four acres of additional land. Now , with the support of the Agriculture Department , Horticulture Department and Education Department, nutritious gardens are being developed on this land . He said that there are 1, 100 such Anganwadi centers in the state where nutritious gardens will be created on the additional land.