Bengaluru, Oct 21 (IANS): The Akshaya Patra Foundation on Thursday resumed the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme in Karnataka for children after the Covid-19 pandemic kept them away from school for the last 18 months. The MDM programme benefits lakhs of students in government and government aided schools.

"We are humbled to serve over 75,000 children studying in 789 schools in and around Bangalore (Bengaluru) through our three kitchens in Rajajinagar, Vasanthpura and Jigani centralized kitchens from today," the statement released by Akshaya Patra Foundation read.

"The foundation recognizes the need to resume the school meal programme in a safe manner. We have taken all essential steps for safe and nutritious meal delivery. Our employees are fully vaccinated and trained to carefully adhere to the Covid safety protocols from preparing, packaging, and delivering food to the mapped schools," the statement said.

Talking about selecting a special menu for children, it said: "With the resumption of schools after 18 months, we have curated a special menu for the beneficiaries, i.e., a veg biryani loaded with beans, carrot, capsicum, potato, and cabbage, and a sweet in the form of moong dal payasam."

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that strives to address hunger and malnutrition among school kids in India. By implementing the MDM Scheme, it not only aims to fight hunger but also bring children back to school.