Vedanta to spend Rs. 2.95 cr on Nutrition in MDM

Vedanta, under its CSR programme, has come forward to enhance nutritional supplements in Mid-day meals (MDMs) of 66,500 children in Government and Government-aided schools under Berhampur Municipality, Chattrapur and Hinjlicut blocks of Ganjam district.

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.

It provided boiled eggs twice a week along with MDM to 15,000 students of 187 schools of Lanjigarh block in Kalahandi district. In financial year 2015-16, SSL is expanding its outreach to 81,500 students with inclusion of the above mentioned areas of Ganjam district.

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.”