Maharashtra to start 4 centralised kitchens and 13 semi-centralised kitchens to provide good quality breakfast, lunch and dinner to be served to over 2 lakh children studying in 497 ashram

shalas which are residential schools for tribal children in the state. As per the current practice, under the integrated tribal development projects, a centralised kitchen is running in five

places – Dahanu, Nashik, Jawhar, Nandurbar and Ghodegaon. A total of 78,000 children from ashram shalas running in these areas are served breakfast, lunch and dinner along with snacks,

every day, through the centralised kitchen. However, in all other residential schools for tribal children, food is prepared in their premises by a cook and dry ration is supplied by the

development department from Maharashtra. A Government Resolution (GR) has been issued on the formation of a six-member committee that will be the final authority on creating plans for such

kitchens, required equipment and tenders to procure them among all. Story continues below this ad While the centralised kitchen system is expected to bring standard quality in food, the

head-master from a school in Palghar district, said, “It will also relieve us as heads of the schools from the responsibility of cooking, serving food and also taking care of the dry ration.

With a centralised kitchen taking up responsibility for food served in ashram shalas, we will be able to focus on academics.” According to the GR, four centralised kitchens are coming up,

one each in Dhule and Shapur, and two in Kalwan, and 13 semi-centralised kitchens are spread across integrated tribal development projects in areas such as Taloda, Rajul, Yaval, Dharni and

Kinvat.