After 20 days of suspension of mid-day meals in most of the government and government-aided schools, the state government has released about Rs 54 crore as cooking cost to 19,700 schools.
The schools get cooking cost at the rate of Rs 4.97 per student for primary classes and Rs 7.45 for upper primary classes per student from the state government. The cooking cost under the scheme involves purchase of cooking oil, pulses, vegetables and condiments. Under the national programme, 60 per cent of the cooking cost is shared by the Centre and 40 per cent by the state.