Odisha to provide MDM dry ration to govt school students

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will provide dry ration to the students of Class I to VIII of government and government aided schools during closure of the educational institutions due to COVID-19 outbreak.

In a letter, School and Mass Education Secretary Chithra Arumugam directed the District Collectors to provide MDM dry ration to the students for 90 days from March 16 to June 13 2020 at one go through Fair Price Shop (FPS)/ PDS outlet. Each primary student (Class I-V) will be given dry ration of 3 kg rice per month and each upper primary student (Class VI-VIII) will get 4.5 kg rice per month for 90 days, it added. Worth mentioning, this rice is over and above the child’s entitlement under NFSA/SFSA.

The letter stated the MDM dry ration distribution is a pro-active effort to ensure that the student does not miss out on the nourishment given by MDM.

The Headmaster of each school will give a coupon to parents/ guardians certifying that the student is a bonafide student of the school, indicating the class, eligible for MDM, name of the tagged FPS/ PDS outlet in a particular format. Also, the HMs will maintain a register for the MDM Dry Ration Rice for COVID-19 with signatures of the parent/guardian.

After submitting the coupons, parent/guardian of the student will then collect this rice in advance at one go from the Fair Price Shop / PDS outlet tagged to the school.

The letter added seasonal hostels for children of migrant labourers, residential hostels for urban deprived, residential schools in LWE areas, and KGBV hostels run by the School and Mass Education department will be closed as a precautionary measure and in view of the recent advisories of the State government.

However, if parents are unable to take custody of their wards, hostels can continue to run to support the children.

All children who are taken home by parents are eligible for MDM Dry Ration, the letter mentioned.