Himanta Biswa Sarma lays foundation stone for centralised Mid-Day Meal kitchen in Dibrugarh

In a significant move aimed at transforming the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme in government schools, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art centralised community kitchen in Dibrugarh on Sunday, June 15.

The initiative is designed to provide hygienic and nutritious meals to schoolchildren, with meals to be delivered at a subsidised cost of ₹12.50 per student. The centralised kitchen will have the capacity to prepare and distribute meals to over one lakh students daily, marking a major step towards standardising quality and improving the nutritional intake of students across the region.

To ensure food reaches the schools fresh and warm, specially designed vehicles equipped with hot chambers will be used for transportation. The project is being implemented with an investment of ₹25 crore from the state government.

The Dibrugarh kitchen is the first of several such facilities planned across Assam, with similar kitchens to be established in Majuli, Nalbari, Lakhimpur, and Tezpur in the coming phases.

State officials emphasized that the new centralised system would not affect the employment of existing MDM cooks. Instead, the initiative is expected to enhance efficiency while continuing to support current staff members involved in meal preparation and distribution.

The project aligns with the government’s broader vision of improving school infrastructure, student welfare, and public health through improved nutrition and logistical innovation.