One more school gets ISKCON's meal scheme

                           

         M.P. Prakash, Minister for Revenue (third from left),  launching the "Bisi oota" scheme at Hadagali on Monday. Also seen SN.Jayaram, Deputy Commissioner (third from right). 

M.P. Prakash, Minister for Revenue, has exhorted social and voluntary organisations to help the Government ensure that the benefits of the various welfare schemes reached the needy. 

He was speaking after launching the "bisi oota" scheme being implemented by the Akshaya Patra Foundation of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at a school here on Tuesday. 

"It is difficult for the Government to do everything. The Government welfare schemes can be successful only when society extends its helping hand and ensures that the benefits reach the needy," Mr. Prakash said. He lauded the efforts of ISKCON's Akshaya Patra Foundation for serving nutritious food to schoolchildren.

He said that ISKCON might agree to extend its scheme to more schools in the rural areas if the youth, and social and voluntary organisations came forward to assist in implementing the scheme.

Assurance

In a bid to allay fear among the cooks and assistants appointed under the scheme of being retrenched in the wake of involving voluntary organisations, the Minister said, "This will not affect the staff appointed under the scheme in any way. No one will be retrenched from service." 

Deputy Commissioner, SN Jayaram urged teachers to stress on children inculcating health, hygiene, and cleanliness besides extending cooperation for the success of the mid-day meal scheme. 

Chanchaladas Pandit of ISKCON said that with the extension of the scheme to Hadagali, the institution was now serving food to about 75,000 students in the State. He also said that ISKCON planned to extend the scheme to more areas. "Our aim is to see that children are not deprived of education because of poverty and starve for the lack of food. We want to extend the scheme to cover as many children as possible," he said. He also said that ISKCON was incurring an expenditure of almost Rs. 2.5 lakhs per day for implementation of the scheme, which is met by way of collecting donations from pilgrims visiting the ISKCON temple.

Chanchaladas also thanked the Minister for allotting land in Bangalore, where a Krishna temple has been constructed. He said that the Minister had assured to grant land at Hubli where a similar temple would be constructed. The president of the Hadagali Town Panchayat, Yamnappa, presided over the function.