Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice Chairman
of The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been nominated as a member of the
National Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee for Mid-Day Meal Programme.
He will be one among the 13 members who have made significant
contribution and have had considerable achievements in the area of
Nutrition, Child Welfare, Community/ Women’s Mobilization, School
Education, Child Health or School Mid-Day Meal. The Honourable Minister
of Human Resource Development, Shashi Tharoor, has approved the
nominations for a period of two years.
The 13-member committee will be
part of the National Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee (NMSC) which has
been established by The National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in schools.
The committee will also consist of ex-officio members from concerned
departments and ministries. The committee envisages to:
• Provide policy advice to the Central and State Governments.
• Guide Implementation agencies.
• Monitor Programme Implementation, assess its impact and take corrective steps.
• Take action on reports of independent monitoring evaluation agencies.
• Effect co-ordination and convergence among concerned departments, agencies (e.g. FCI), and schemes.
• Mobilise community support and promote Public-Private Partnership for the programme.
• Identify
voluntary agencies and other appropriate institutions to undertake
training, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation and research
connected with the programme at the national level.
The inclusion of Akshaya Patra in the National Steering-cum-Monitoring
Committee reinforces the fact that Akshaya Patra as an organization has
successfully scaled up operations and efficiently implemented the
Government programme as a partner. The Foundation can now contribute its
learnings for the larger good of the children of the country.
