Rising egg demand strains midday meals prog in Belagavi

Belagavi: In Belagavi's govt schools, 68% of students have opted for eggs over bananas under the midday meal scheme. With prices rising to Rs 7 per egg and the govt having fixed Rs 6 per egg, school development and monitoring committees (SDMCs) are struggling to manage the cost difference.

In 2021, the BJP-led state govt under then CM Bommai, introduced eggs twice a week, as a pilot scheme, in the midday meals for students from classes 1 to 8, in the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Koppal, Vijayapura, and Ballari. These seven districts were identified as the most backward in the state. In July 2022, the state govt extended its egg policy to all govt schools across Karnataka. After Sept 2024, Azim Premji Foundation for Development (APF) is providing financial assistance to distribute eggs to govt and aided school children from class 1 to 10 in the state four days a week. The state govt will bear the expenses of egg distribution for the remaining two days.

According to the officials of the education department, of the estimated 2.5 lakh children in schools in the Belagavi educational district, 1.7 lakh children consume eggs and 77,000 children consume bananas. In the Chikodi educational district, there are 2.2 lakh children who consume eggs, while there are 1.1 lakh children who consume bananas. It is noteworthy that the number of children who eat eggs is higher in both educational districts.

The non-govt organisations responsible for distributing hot midday meals to children in schools are distributing boiled eggs to children six days a week. The govt will provide a total of six rupees per egg, which includes five rupees for buying an egg, 50 paise for cooking it, 30 paise for peeling the egg, and 20 paise for transporting the egg. But when the price of eggs increases in the market, the burden of the additional price falls on those who purchase the eggs.

The education department officials say that fluctuating egg prices have presented some challenges in procurement, with requests for an increase in the budget allocation. Egg prices increase during the rainy and winter seasons. There is less demand for eggs during the month of Shravan, providing an opportunity to compensate for the difference.

Laxmanrao Yakkundi, district official of Akshara Dsoha scheme and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Abhiyan, said that egg consumption in schools is increasing, and plans are being formulated by the zilla panchayat to entrust egg procurement to women's self-help groups. It will benefit both women's groups and schools significantly.

Photo Name: Middaymeal Caption: The children consuming midday meals in school.