CHANDIGARH: Due to the curfew in the state to contain spreading of Corona Virus, Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab government has decided to provide food grains of mid-day-meal to the students in sealed packets at their homes. Punjab Education Minister Mr. Vijay Inder Singla said that apart from the food grains, the Education Department will also transfer cooking cost of mid-day-meal in the bank accounts of the school students.
The cabinet minister informed that the directions have already been issued to all District Education Officers (DEOs) to initiate the process as soon as possible as cooking cost and food grains allocation have already been sent to districts.
Mr. Vijay Inder Singla said that the quantity of food grains and cooking cost rates has already been fixed and the beneficiaries would get the mid-day-meal benefits from March 23, 2020 to April 15, 2020. He added cooking cost for primary students has been fixed at Rs. 4.48 per day and would be given 100 grams wheat and rice. He said that for upper primary students, the cooking cost has been set at Rs. 6.71 per day and will be given 150 grams of food grains.
The Cabinet Minister also directed the managements of all schools to follow the directions of government during the lockdown period and extend their admission and other fee deadlines for atleast one month. He said that the private schools have also been directed not to charge any late fees from the parents for not submitting fees during curfew. He said that no school should ask the parents to submit the fees online or through any other method in lockdown period.
He added that the guidelines have already been issued in this regard and if any of the school authority found violating these norms, strict action will be initiated against the violators.