BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has once again increased the material cost of the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme to accommodate added nutritional items like eggs and nutri-rich laddoos. As per a notification issued by the School and Mass Education Department on Thursday, an extra ₹2.92 per student per day has been approved for both primary and upper primary levels.
With this revision, the per-day cost now stands at ₹11.15 for primary and ₹14.74 for upper primary students. This enhancement follows the state’s recent move to extend MDM benefits to Class IX and X students in government and aided schools. Students from Sishu Vatikas to Class X now receive three eggs and three laddoos each week.
Since April 1, eggs have been served on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while laddoos are distributed during morning assemblies on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Under the PM-POSHAN scheme, the Centre contributes ₹6.78 (primary) and ₹10.17 (upper primary) per student per day, with the state pitching in an additional ₹1.45 and ₹1.65 respectively—bringing the previous total to ₹8.23 (primary) and ₹11.82 (upper primary).
The added cost for providing meals to Class IX and X students, along with the additional eggs and laddoos, amounts to ₹570.71 crore annually. This will be funded entirely by the state government under the Mukhyamantri Poshan Yojana.