Chhattisgarh may send midday meal eggs to kids’ home- Times of India

• 17 Jul, 2019
• India

RAIPUR: The controversy over eggs in midday meals boils over, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh has come up with a win-win proposal — home-deliver the eggs to those who want it, instead of serving them in school. This home service will be launched in the event parents-teachers committees choose against serving eggs in school and anganwadi centres, says an order issued by state government. 
School education department principal secretary Gaurav Dwivedi has told all district collectors to convene meetings between school development committee and parents within two weeks to discuss the issue. If the panel concludes that most parents disagree with the idea of serving eggs in mid-day meals, then the government will identify children who want to eat eggs and deliver them at home.

An initiative has been taken to balance protein and calories in children’s health by giving eggs or milk or any other food of equivalent nutritional value in midday meals,” says the letter. 
Since children from vegetarian families also take mid-day meals at school, a solution for their preferences is being clarified for implementation. Arrangements should be made to boil eggs separately. Children who do not want eggs should be seated in separate sequence for mid-day meal,” it adds 
Dwivedi also suggested that vegetarian children be served soya milk, protein crunch, fortified biscuits, soybean, peanuts chikki and fortified lentils 
Eggs have set the state politics on the boil, with opposition BJP and Janata Congress siding with Kabir Panthis and demanding that eggs be taken off the midday meal menu. The Congress government’s argument that vegetarian kids are being provided with alternatives cut no ice, and the opposition wants eggs banned altogether 
Nutritionists, paediatricians and around 37 NGOs have backed the government, saying eggs would be crucial in combating malnutrition and should be served to those who want it 
The Congress government decided to add eggs in midday meals after studies showed that the number of malnourished tribal children has shot up from 38% to 44%. Kabir Panthis and Jains, however, have warned of an agitation and blockade of national highways from July 17 unless eggs are banned.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/raipur/chhattisgarh-government-decides-to-home-deliver-eggs-for-kids/articleshow/70250921.cms