PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Akshaya Patra’s 62nd kitchen in Varanasi

 

Food is a basic essential for the development of children.
Food and education always go hand in hand.
When a child is well fed and educated, s/he becomes able to pave his future.

Government’s intervention to feed children

NITI Aayog has identified certain districts of India with a high level of malnutrition. To support children in these areas and all over the nation, the Government of India started the PM Poshan Abhiyaan which was earlier known as the Mid-Day Meal Programme.

It was mandated in 2001 that every child studying in Government, Government-aided schools and Education Guarantee Scheme centres receive school meals as a part of this programme. The name of this Mid-Day Meal Scheme was changed to Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme (PM POSHAN Abhiyaan) in September 2021. This programme has shown positive effects. 

Parents who were not able to afford sending their child/ren to schools due to their financial constraints eagerly sent their children for the free nutritious food being supplied. 

Benefits of mid-day meals

• ·         Nourishes children
• ·         Improves immunity
• ·         Makes children regular to school
• ·         Helps them focus
• ·         Improves memory and retention rate

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that is the implementer of the PM POSHAN scheme (formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Programme) that benefits 1.8 million children studying in Government and Government-aided schools in 14 states and 2 union territories of India. With its decentralised and centralised kitchens spread across 63 locations, this NGO in India caters to the nutritional needs of children. 

Akshaya Patra works under a Public Private Partnership model and has been running the school lunch programme for the last 21 years with strong support from the Government, donors and corporate partners. 

Akshaya Patra inaugurates 62^nd kitchen

On 7 July 2022, the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s new kitchen in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. This is the fifth centralised kitchen in the state after Lucknow, Vrindavan, Gorakhpur and Mant. 

Honourable Governor, Smt Anandiben Patel and Honourable Chief Minister, Shri Yogi Adityanath accompanied the Prime Minister. This kitchen was supported by Westbridge Capital. The event was presided by Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman – Akshaya Patra, and Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice-Chairman. 

This event was followed by a visit to the newest kitchen. The Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Governor along with other dignitaries were given a tour of the Akshaya Patra kitchen. 

Details of the Akshaya Patra Kitchen in Varanasi

• ·         Spread over an area of 3 acres
• ·         Capacity to feed 1,00,000 children
• ·         High standards of hygiene, food safety and quality
• ·         Roti machine makes 40,000 rotis/hour
• ·         700-litre capacity rice cauldron with hydraulic system
• ·         1,200-litre capacity dal cauldron with automatic motors
• ·         Reverse Osmosis plant for water purification
• ·         Solar panels for electricity production
• ·         Heat pump and solar water heater to boil water

Once all the dignitaries visited the kitchen facility, the Honourable Prime Minister gathered with children who showcased their talents by singing, dancing, reciting shlokas, performing yoga asanas, etc.