JAMMU, May 21 (NVI): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday laid the foundation stone of The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s centralised mid-day meal kitchen in Katra and called for stronger collaboration between the government and social organisations to empower the younger generation.
The facility, once operational, will provide around 5,000 nutritious meals daily to school children, officials said. The Lieutenant Governor also spoke about Akshaya Patra’s upcoming projects in the Union Territory, including another kitchen facility planned in Jammu.
Addressing the gathering, Sinha stressed the importance of ensuring balanced and nourishing meals for school children, saying no child should be left behind when it comes to access to healthy food.
He said the legacy of society rests not only on what it creates and preserves, but also on “what we are feeding our children”, adding that the nutrition of the younger generation would shape the future of the nation.
“A hungry child cannot learn, and a school that cannot feed its children cannot honestly create equal opportunities for progress,” Sinha said, emphasising that education and nutrition are closely linked.
He said children receiving balanced diets perform better in studies, retain information effectively and participate more actively in classrooms.
“When we provide nutritious meals in schools, we are not merely filling stomachs but shaping future thinking,” he added.
The Lieutenant Governor also lauded the selfless service of Akshaya Patra, describing it as one of the world’s largest NGOs in the school meal sector, serving over 20 lakh children across 16 states and three Union Territories.
On the occasion, Sinha also served meals to school students.
Among those present were National President and Trustee of Akshaya Patra Shri Bharatarshabha Dasa, MLAs Baldev Raj Sharma and Kuldeep Raj Dubey, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Commissioner Secretary School Education Department Ram Niwas Sharma, senior police and civil administration officials, members of the foundation and students.(NVI)
