Maharashtra govt to no longer pay for eggs, sugar in mid-day meal

NEW DELHI: A year after introducing eggs and fruits to school mid-day meals, Maharashtra will no longer provide funds for them.

In a new government resolution issued on Tuesday, the government has said that it will no longer provide money for eggs or sugar for sweet dishes and instead urged the school management committees (SMCs) to raise funds for them and other ingredients through the public.

In November 2023, the state introduced eggs to mid-day meals for the first time. The students were given an egg a week, with an option to opt for fruits if they want, with an additional outlay of Rs 5 per egg. However, following opposition from some right-wing groups, the decision was later revised to deny eggs in schools where at least 40% of parents opposed their inclusion in meals. Schools receiving mid-day meals from organisations such as Akshay Patra were also excluded from this provision.

The eggs were part of an initiative by the previous school education minister Deepak Kesarkar to provide more nutritious and appetizing meals to school students. The department had also come out with an elaborate list of dishes to replace the staple khichdi with a 'three-course meal'.

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While the new government resolution does recommend continuing with these diverse preparations, and even offers recipes, it makes clear that the expenses for sweet dishes and 'egg pulao' would no longer be borne by the state. A government official told Careers360 that eggs were provided until December.

This marks the third reversal of a school-related decision within days of the new state administration and school education minister Dadaji Bhuse taking over the department. While the ruling Mahayuti alliance has retained the power in Maharashtra, Kesarkar is no longer part of the new cabinet, while the leader of his party Shiv Sena, has been demoted from the chief minister to deputy chief minister.