West Bengal to give Rs 3,000 to 8,375 schools for LPG facilities

Kolkata: The West Bengal government will provide Rs 3,000 each to 8,375 schools without LPG connections to install cooking facilities under the PM POSHAN scheme, besides increasing the material cost of meals and the monthly honorarium of cook-cum-helpers, an order issued on Thursday said. The move will help shift these schools from firewood-based cooking to LPG.

Data submitted by the state under the PM POSHAN Annual Work Plan and Budget 2026-27 showed that out of 81,012 schools covered under the scheme, 72,637 had LPG connections while 8,375 were dependent on firewood for cooking during 2025-26. "The objective is to ensure that schools still dependent on firewood are provided with LPG facilities and that the quality of the meals served to children is maintained.

The enhancement in the cooking and meal-related provisions is part of that effort," a senior state government bureaucrat said. The state school education department, in the order, said the material cost for providing hot cooked meals to students in pre-primary (Bal Vatika) and primary classes in government, government-aided and sponsored schools had been increased from Rs 6.78 to Rs 10 per student per day with effect from August 1.

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The additional monthly honorarium for cook-cum-helpers has also been doubled from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 for a maximum period of 10 months. With the enhancement, the total honorarium will stand at Rs 3,000 per cook-cum-helper per month for up to 10 months, effective from August. The PM POSHAN data showed that Bankura had the highest number of schools using firewood at 3,639, followed by Jhargram with 2,217 and Paschim Bardhaman with 1,007.

Uttar Dinajpur had 613 schools dependent on firewood, while North 24 Parganas had 366 and Murshidabad 310. Jalpaiguri had 217 such schools and Purba Medinipur six. In several districts, including Alipurduar, Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman, Cooch Behar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Hooghly, Howrah, Malda, Nadia, Purulia, Siliguri, Paschim Bardhaman, South 24 Parganas and Kalimpong, all schools covered in the data had LPG connections.

"The increased material cost will provide some additional support for ensuring that hot cooked meals are supplied regularly, while the higher honorarium recognises the role of cook-cum-helpers in implementing the programme at the school level," the bureaucrat said. The order said the enhancements had the concurrence of the state finance department. The PM POSHAN scheme, formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, provides hot cooked meals to schoolchildren.