A memorandum of understanding has been signed to this effect with Manna Trust, which is in charge of operations of the centralized MDM kitchen at Berhampur.
The company will spend over Rs. 2.95 crores in the current fiscal to ensure distribution of 2 eggs per week, which provides 248 calories per week per student, in mid-day meals provided to 81,500 students it has targeted in Kalahandi and Ganjam districts in the current fiscal.
As per the guidelines of Government of India’s Mid-day Meal Program, to meet the protein requirement, it is necessary to provide children 2 eggs a week as egg proteins have the highest nutritive quality as compared to any other dietary protein. Last year SSL, Lanjigarh had added 2 eggs per week to the MDM component on request by Government of Odisha.
According to a company spokesperson, “Vedanta is committed to contribute towards the Millennium Development Goals. MDM centralized kitchen programme is one of the steps to ensure right to food and right to education to children of disadvantaged section of society from Kalahandi and Ganjam districts studying in the class I to VIII by providing them 450 calories & 12 grams of protein in primary schools, 700 calories and 20 grams of protein in secondary schools with one wholesome meal on every school day.”