The Akshay Patra Foundation plans to expand outside Puri to other districts. New Indian Express reports on this. Following are some excerpts.

The Akshay Patra Foundation, which is engaged in providing nutritious food to schoolchildren in Puri district under the mid-day meal programme, is set to extend its service to all the government primary schools in other districts of the State.

In the immediate phase, the foundation has signed an MoU with Collector, Nayagarh, to provide food in the government primary schools of the district.

‘‘In fact, we have already started a strategic midday meal programme at Nayagarh and covered as many as 2,500 students in 16 schools there,’’ …. The Foundation started its operations in 2006 in Puri district.

Today, food is being supplied to over 33,000 children in 280 primary schools in the district. The food is prepared in line with local preference and in a mechanised kitchen, thereby ensuring proper hygiene.

The foundation is also working with the State Government to train SHG women to cook and provide food to schools. The entire process is monitored by foundation though. The move has created an opportunity for the SHGs to be economically empowered, Dasa said.