New Delhi, Nov. 7 -- The West Bengal government has given in-principle approval to Annamrita Foundation, associated with ISKCON, to expand its centralised kitchen model for supplying school meals under the PM POSHAN scheme across all districts in a phased manner. The move could extend the arrangement, currently operational in Kolkata, to the rest of the state.

In a memorandum issued on Saturday, the State Project Director of PM POSHAN under the School Education Department directed all district magistrates, the Sub-Divisional Officer of Siliguri and the Executive Director of the GTA's Education Department to share details of school locations and student enrolment with the foundation. District authorities have also been asked to identify suitable spaces for setting up centralised kitchens and provide administrative assistance. A Letter of Award (LOA) will be issued once the foundation is ready to begin operations.

The initiative began on August 1, when Annamrita Foundation, formerly known as ISKCON Food Relief Foundation, established a centralised kitchen in Kolkata and started supplying meals to schools under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme.

However, the model has faced criticism over its vegetarian menu and concerns about the livelihood of women associated with self-help groups (SHGs), who have traditionally prepared meals in schools. Under the existing Kolkata arrangement, the foundation supplies vegetarian meals, while eggs are provided separately.

Earlier, on August 21, the School Education Department had approved another ISKCON-associated organisation, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, to supply meals in selected schools in Howrah, Purulia, North 24-Parganas and East Midnapore. The approval was subsequently withdrawn through an order dated September 11, with authorities directed not to proceed with the proposal.

The latest decision has revived questions over whether eggs will be supplied separately across districts and how existing SHG workers will be accommodated as the centralised kitchen model expands statewide.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.