CM Kamal Nath performs bhumi pujan of the first centralised kitchen’ Akshay Paatra Mega Kitchen’
Bhopal : The Chief Minister Shri Kamal Nath while performing bhumi pujan of the first centralised kitchen’ Akshay Paatra Mega Kitchen’ of the state in Bhartadev Chandangaon of Chhindwara district, said that pure and quality food is the first essential need to keep children healthy. He further said that pure and quality food is being provided by the Akshay Paatra Foundation in the country to about 19 lakh children. This has been started from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. He stated that the second Akshay Paatra Mega Kitchen will be established in Bhopal.
Shri Kamal Nath said that he had heard about the Akshay Paatra Foundation in the past but he was not aware of its functioning. During his meeting with the President of HEG Ltd. Shri Ravi Jhunjhunwala and Chairman of Akshay Paatra Foundation Shri Madhu Pandit Das, he understood the functioning of the foundation and decided to start it first from Chhindwara. Shri Kamal Nath expressed hope that the Akshay Paatra Foundation will fulfill the need of pure and quality food of children of Chhindwara district. Moreover, the Chief Minister said that the Foundation will take initiative to establish its various other institutions in Chhindwara district to ensure upliftment of every section of the society.
The Member of Parliament Shri Nakul Nath stated that India is called a developing country but children’s mortality and malnutrition has always been the issue of concern. He said that biggest reason behind this a lack of sufficient food. Shir Nakul Nath hoped that no child of Chhindwara will deprive of good food.
The Minister In-Charge and Public Health Engineering Minister Shri Sukhdev Panse and Minister for Scheduled Caste Welfare Shri Lakhan Ganghoriya also addressed the programme. The bhumi pujan of Akshay Paatra Mega Kitchen was performed with complete rituals. The Chairman of the Foundation Shri Das presented a memento to the Chief Minister. All the guests, children including Chief Minister had meals together.
7 thousand students of 116 government schools to be benefitted daily
About 7 thousand students of 116 government primary and middle schools of Chhindwara district will be benefitted daily under the first phase from the next academic session through this mega kitchen. In the second phase, good quality mid-day meal will be distributed to over 15 thousand students within six months.
At present, the Akshay Paatra Foundation is providing mid-day meal to about 19 lakh students of about 13, 800 schools through its 51 centers in 12 states.