The Hindu   03.08.2012

Akshaya Patra wants Rs. 8 for each midday meal

Food fight in the offing?:The Akshaya Patra Foundation provides midday
meals to 18,000 children studying in BBMP-run educational institutions.—
FILE PHOTO: V. SREENIVASA MURTHY

 The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
administration proposes, the elected body disposes. Or so it would seem.
The ISKCON-backed Akshaya Patra Foundation, which provides midday meals
to over 18,000 students in BBMP’s educational institutions, proposes to
increase the cost per meal to Rs. 8 from Rs. 6.50. While the
administration seems to have cleared it, the BBMP Standing Committee for
Education and Sports is all set to shoot it down.

Committee chairperson B. Govindaraju told
The Hindu
that the cash-strapped BBMP would not be able to pay the extra the
foundation was seeking. “The State government pays much less to the
foundation, even though rice is given by it (government). The government
pays around Rs. 4.50 per meal. Also, it has been only a year since the
rate was hiked to Rs. 6.50 from Rs. 4.50,” he said.

He
said that the foundation sought the increase citing inflation and
increase in the cost of essential commodities, including pulses, oil and
vegetables. “The BBMP cannot pay nearly double of what the government
is paying for the midday meal. This is why the committee is unsure about
approving the proposal,” Mr. Govindaraju said.

The
standing committee is now contemplating making a provision for
appreciation in the new contract with the foundation. “We want to follow
the model adopted by the government. Its contract has a provision for
increase in the cost per meal,” he said.

The explanation

Meanwhile,
the BBMP administration feels that the proposed hike is justified.
Joint Commissioner (Welfare and Education) Salma Fahim said that the
foundation prepares all the meals in a clean and hygienic environment.
“Over the past year, the prices of essential commodities and fuel
(diesel for the vehicles bringing the meals to schools) have increased.
The foundation gets rice from the government and that is why it charges
less for the meals provided to government schools,” she said. She said
that to provide meals for the BBMP schools, the foundation procures rice
from the open market. “The maximum cost incurred is on rice. We were
told that the foundation spends around Rs. 33 per kg of rice. Given the
economics, we feel that the proposed hike is justified,” she added.

Two lakh others

Vinay
Kumar, foundation’s general manager (operations), said that the cost of
provisions had gone up by nearly 75 per cent over the last one year.

“We
procure the rice and supply the meals for 18,000 students in BBMP’s
educational institutions in the city. The cost of production cannot be
calculated as we prepare the meals for two lakh students of government
schools in the same kitchens,” he said.