Soon,more halwa for children under midday scheme

“As the tenders for the current mid-day meal providers are coming to an end,the civic body has decided to come up with a new policy,where halwa and chickpea will be provided in equal quantities. This way,there will be less wastage of food,” said a senior official with the corporation.

He said the halwa,made of wheat flour,will be of better quality.

The proposal was introduced in a Standing Committee meeting about two months ago. The matter was then referred to a panel constituted for the purpose of coming up with new tendering policy. The panel,comprising Yogender Chandolia,Subhash Arya,Mahender Nagpal and Jai Kishen Sharma,decided to change the menu as well as some of the clauses in the new tenders.

In the new policy framed by them,they also decided that in case the children dislike the change in menu,MCD will serve them chapatis and seasonal vegetables. At present,10 lakh beneficiaries of the MCD scheme are served kidney beans and rice,besides puri-sabji,but never chapatis.

“Though the tenders will be invited soon,this kind of process takes time. Hence,the new arrangements will be put into place only after three months,” said Mahendra Nagpal,Chairman of Education Committee of the MCD.

The tenders were earlier expected to be implemented by June 1,when the MCD schools — numbering 1,639 — reopened after the summer vacations.