Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government today announced that the Mid Day Meal will not be served to the students of all government and government aided schools on Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja.
In a letter to all District Education Officers (DEOs), the State Nodal Officer (MDM) stated that the students of all government and government aided schools are celebrating Ganesh puja and Swaraswati puja in the schools every year.
“It has come to the notice of the undersigned that the students are not consuming the parboiled rice provided under Mid Day Meal on the occasion of Ganesh puja and Swaraswati puja as part of their traditions and customs.
Hence, it has been decided that the MDM will not be available on the two occasions”, the letter said.
The students should not be pressurized to take MDM parboiled rice and will be allowed to obsserve the puja in the usual manner traditionally followed by them, it added.