Assam plans to expand mid-day meal scheme with breakfast to address school dropouts

Guwahati, June 15: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday, proposed the expansion of the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme in Assam to include breakfast, aiming to improve school attendance and reduce dropout rates among children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a Rs 25.45-crore centralised mid-day meal kitchen in Dibrugarh, Sarma said that providing both breakfast and lunch in schools could significantly boost enrolment, particularly in tea garden areas and rural pockets.

“If we provide mid-day meals to the 35 lakh school-going students in Assam and also arrange for breakfasts—whether in tea gardens or other areas—it will greatly increase school attendance among poor children and reduce dropouts,” the Chief Minister said.

He added that the initiative would open new avenues of education for children from low-income families and ensure that their basic nutritional needs are met, which is critical for both physical and cognitive development.

Sarma also announced that the government has decided to set up centralised MDM kitchens in Nalbari, Tezpur, Dibrugarh, and Lakhimpur. These facilities will serve mid-day meals to schoolchildren in their respective districts.

“The state government will construct the kitchens, while the Hare Krishna Foundation and Akshaya Patra, in partnership with the government, will handle meal distribution,” he said. He noted that a similar kitchen was initiated in Majuli earlier in 2024.

At present, Assam has three operational centralised kitchens located in Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup, and Jorhat districts.

Highlighting the broader importance of the mid-day meal scheme, Sarma highlighted its role not just in boosting school attendance but also in ensuring children receive adequate nutrition essential for their growth and learning.