Mega Kitchen to Feed 60K Students

■ SCCL contributes Rs 9.6 crore for world-class centralised facility at Syedmujavarpet 

■ Project to cover 1,029 government institutions

■ Centralised kitchen also to serve 7,972 students in 131 institutions across four Nalgonda mandals

metro india news I hyderabad

A massive centralised community kitchen capable of preparing and supplying nutritious meals to nearly 60,000 students every day is being developed at Syedmujavarpet in Munagala Mandal of Suryapet district, with efforts under way to make the facility operational within the next 100 days.

Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has contributed Rs 9.6 crore towards the project, which is being implemented with the support of the Hari Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation (HKMCF). Envisaged as an ultra-modern, world-class facility, the kitchen will serve around 1,029 government schools and junior colleges.

The scale and coverage of the project make it a unique student-nutrition initiative. Designed for large-volume food preparation, the kitchen will integrate cooking, quality control, packing and dispatch with a carefully planned distribution network. Hygiene, food safety, nutritional value and timely delivery will form the core of its operations.

Irrigation, Food and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy is closely monitoring the project and coordinating with SCCL, HKMCF, the district administrations and the departments concerned. Suryapet District Collector Tejas Nandlal Pawar said that efforts were under way to operationalise the scheme within 100 days. “The project is unique in its scale. Since civil works are involved, 

the immediate focus is on completing the structure and putting the necessary infrastructure in place,” the Collector said. The operating and transportation systems are being planned simultaneously so that freshly prepared food can reach institutions across the service area safely and on schedule. Cooking timelines, packing arrangements, delivery routes and institutional requirements will be synchronised before the kitchen becomes operational.

The project’s reach will extend beyond Suryapet district. Nalgonda District Collector B. Chandrasekhar said that 131 government educational institutions in Nakrekal, Sali Gouraram, Kethepally and Vemulapally mandals would be served by the Syedmujavarpet kitchen. These institutions together have 7,972 students.  He said the centralised system would help maintain uniform standards of hygiene, nutrition, food safety and quality. Detailed route planning and interdepartmental coordination would be undertaken to ensure reliable daily distribution to every institution, he added.

A major objective of the programme is to prevent malnutrition by providing balanced food containing essential proteins, vitamins and minerals. A nutritious morning meal can help children remain active and attentive, improving concentration and participation in classroom activities. The programme is also expected to improve attendance and punctuality, besides helping reduce school dropouts. For economically vulnerable and working families, school breakfast will ease both the financial burden and the daily task of preparing a morning meal.

By serving the same nutritious food to children from different social and economic backgrounds, the initiative will also promote equality. Universal access to breakfast and milk is expected to be particularly beneficial to girl students from economically disadvantaged households. Millet-based dishes are proposed to be included in the menu to introduce children to nutritious traditional grains.

HKMCF’s partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Institute of Millets Research will support the initiative through scientific expertise, recipe development and nutrition-focused planning. Wishing all success for the initiative, Sri Satya Goura Chandra Dasa, President of the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation (HKMCF) and  Regional President of the Akshaya Patra Foundation said that the organisation would extend its best to reach out to rural students in extending nutritious food enabling them to fare well in their studies.

Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy thanked SCCL for contributing Rs 9.6 crore under its corporate social responsibility programme. He said the initiative demonstrated how public-sector organisations could create lasting community assets and directly improve children’s health and educational participation. Once operational, the Madhavaram facility is expected to emerge as a model centralised kitchen, delivering nutritious food to thousa nds of students across Suryapet and adjoining areas of Nalgonda every school day.