The Government of India is planning to offer mid-day-meal to the helpless elderly persons also. Till now, school going children of up to 8th standard of schooling were provided free mid-day- meal in their schools.
The senior citizens without any support can get mid-day-meal from the government now. The Central Government is preparing to start this plan from August 2021 in selected cities and village-panchayats. The scheme is planned to be implemented in the whole country within a period of three four years.
The road-map for providing mid-day meal to senior citizens has been prepared by the Central Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. As per reports, an initial budget of rupees 40 crores for the time being has been prepared. The amount for the nutrition campaign has been drawn from the Senior Citizen Welfare Fund which has been created with the unclaimed money of banks and financial institutions. Currently, this fund amounts to thousands of crores.
According to authorities linked with the Ministry the aim of this plan is to provide mid-day-meal to such senior citizens who has no one to support, and who are completely helpless. Their food will comprise all those ingredients that are necessary for a balanced diet. Municipal bodies and village panchayats have been given responsibility for this work. These bodies will identify such senior citizens and will provide mid-day-meal to them.
How will the food be prepared will depend on Municipal corporations and Panchayats. Currently, the country has about 12 crores senior citizens and this number is expected to go up to 31 crores by 2050.
mid-day-meal, helpless seniors, citizens, municipal corporations, panchayats
Image: mdm.nic.in
