This meeting was held in pursuance of a decision taken by Ministry of human resource development to use food cooked in jails for mid-day meal. (Representational Image)

Chandigarh: If a new proposal by Punjab food commission becomes realty , the midday meal in Punjab government schools for its students will be prepared by the jail inmates. In a meeting between chairman, Punjab state food commission held a meeting with principal secretary, jails. This meeting was held in pursuance of a decision taken by Ministry of human resource development to use food cooked in jails for mid-day meal.

Disclosing this here today chairman Punjab state food commission D.P. Reddy said that it was under consideration to supply fresh and nutritious food prepared by inmates lodged in the jails of Punjab to school children under MDM scheme. The chairman said that this proposal would not only generate new employment opportunities for jail inmates but also make it possible to supervise the quality of midday meals from a single place. He also directed the principal secretary jails, Kirpa Shankar Saroj, present in the meeting, to thoroughly evaluate the pros and cons of this proposal and apprise the commission accordingly.

It is pertinent to mention here that midday meals is being provided to the students up to class VIII in government and aided schools of the state and this scheme is being run by the state govt. on 60:40 funding from the Union government. Principal secretary jails assured to get the matter examined in the jail department. He assured to revert to the commission after examining the pros and cons of the proposal at an earliest.