Rajasthan is giving its Midday Meal kitchens a significant hygiene upgrade by allocating funds to replace utensils and kitchen equipment that have been in use for more than five years across 53,738 government schools and madrasas.
Focus on Food Safety and Meal Quality
This initiative is designed to tighten food safety standards and improve the overall quality of meals provided to students. According to an official order, the grants will be linked to the enrolment of students in Classes 1 through 8. Schools with up to 50 students will receive Rs 10,000. Those with 51 to 150 students will get Rs 15,000. Schools with 151 to 250 students will receive Rs 20,000, while institutions with 251 or more students will be eligible for up to Rs 25,000.
Official Directive Issued
In an order issued on April 15 to all district education officers, Commissioner of Midday Meal Vishwa Mohan Sharma stated, “States and Union Territories have the flexibility to spend on cooking devices such as stoves and chulhas; containers for storing food grains and other ingredients; and utensils for cooking and serving, based on the actual requirements of the schools under the component of kitchen devices. There is a provision for replacing these kitchen devices after five years from the date of sanction.”
All district education officers have been instructed to collect proposals from the 53,738 schools for the replacement of required kitchen devices and forward them to the directorate.
Adherence to Fund Limits
The order further emphasizes that requests for necessary kitchen devices “must be made strictly within the limits of the sanctioned funds allocated to the respective schools.” This ensures that expenditures remain within the approved budget.
Increase in Honorarium for Cook-Cum-Helpers
In a related development, the state has increased the honorarium for cook-cum-helpers who prepare midday meals in government schools by 10 percent, effective from this month. They will now receive Rs 2,467 per month for up to 10 months. Of this amount, Rs 600 will be contributed by the central government and Rs 1,867 by the state government. The hike was announced in the state Budget for the fiscal year 2026-27.
