Gujarat government has launched Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana on 2 December 2024. This scheme aims to provide protein-enriched nutritious snacks to primary school students. Around 41 lakh students in 32,200+ schools will benefit from the CM Paushtik Alpahar Yojana (CMPAY).
Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alphar Yojana will be launched as part of the Suposhit Gujarat Mission. It would strengthen and expand the state’s nutrition-oriented initiatives.
Read this article till the end to know what is the nutritious snacks menu for students and other aspects regarding the CMPAY scheme.
Gujarat govt. is already providing quality, calorie-rich and protein-rich midday meal provided under PM Poshan Yojana to students.
Along with this, milk is being provided under Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana to the students.
Now a new initiative has been started namely Mukhymanatri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana to offer nutritious snacks to students.
A snacks menu for students has been designed to include traditional and healthy items.
Snacks such as Sukhdi, a local sweet made with wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee, which provides essential calories would be given to students.
Sukhdi with roasted peanuts, chana chaat, mixed pulses and food made from Shri Anna (millet) would be given throughout the week.
The inclusion of roasted peanuts adds protein and healthy fats to students’ diets. Chana chaat and mixed pulses offer additional protein sources while incorporating tasty and familiar food items.
The integration of millet into the menu aligns with sustainable and nutritious food choices. Millets are rich in minerals, fibres, and other micronutrients essential for growing children.
This menu ensures students receive balanced nutrition throughout their school day, the statement said.
Beneficiaries of CM Paushtik Alpahar Yojana
Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana has been started under the Suposhit Gujarat Mission to fulfil PM Modi’s vision of “Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi”. In addition to the midday meal provided under the PM Poshan Yojana, students from Balvatika to Grade 8 in government and grant-in-aid primary schools across the state will receive nutritious snacks through CMPAY initiative.
Under the newly launched CM Paushtik Alpahar Yojana, approximately 41 lakh students from 32,277 schools across the state will be provided nutritious snacks. These snacks will be provided during morning prayer to help students start their day with energy, while the afternoon supplements will complement the midday meal programme. This consistent nutritional support throughout the day aims to enhance students’ concentration and learning capabilities.
CMPAY Scheme to Benefit Tribal Students
The govt said that the programme will particularly benefit students in tribal areas and developing talukas, where nutritional needs may be more pressing. The combination with existing schemes like Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana will provide a multi-layered approach to student nutrition, the statement added.
“The focus on both nutrition and education (poshan bhi, padhai bhi) recognises the link between proper nourishment and academic performance. This holistic approach aims to create a stronger foundation for students’ overall development and future success,” the statement said.
Along with the midday meal, 200 ml of flavoured milk is provided under the Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana in government and grant-in-aid primary schools in 52 talukas of tribal areas and 29 developing talukas of non-tribal areas across the state. This nutritious snack will be provided to 15.05 lakh students (enrolled in 12,522 schools across 81 talukas) in the short recess following the midday meal under PM Poshan Yojana.
Expenditure on CMPAY Gujarat
Gujarat state government will incur an additional Rs. 617 crore annually for the Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana. It would include Rs. 493 crore for material costs and Rs. 124 crore for a 50% increase in the honorarium of PM Poshan beneficiaries to compensate for the additional work involved in preparing nutritious snacks, mentioned the statement.
Honorarium for PM Poshan Yojana Beneficiaries
The monthly honorarium for PM Poshan Yojana beneficiaries will be:-
Rs. 4,500 for operators,
Rs. 3,750 for cooks and helpers in schools with 26 or more students, and
Rs. 1,500 for additional staff/helpers in smaller schools.
The implementation of Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana will significantly improve the education, nutrition, health, and physical fitness of students in government and grant-in-aid primary schools. Aligning with PM Modi’s vision for a Viksit Bharat@2047, this initiative will contribute to the state’s leadership in building a Viksit Gujarat and ensuring a future generation that is both healthy and well-nourished.
Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana Details in Gujarati
CM Bhupendra Patel wrote about Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana on his X (formerly Twitter) account, “મને જણાવતા આનંદ થાય છે કે, માનનીય વડાપ્રધાન શ્રી નરેન્દ્રભાઈ મોદીએ આપેલા ‘પઢાઈ ભી, પોષણ ભી’ ના ધ્યેયને સાકાર કરવા સુપોષિત ગુજરાત મિશન અંતર્ગત ‘મુખ્યમંત્રી પૌષ્ટિક અલ્પાહાર યોજના’ શરૂ કરવાનો નિર્ણય રાજ્ય સરકારે કર્યો છે”.
રાજ્યની સરકારી અને ગ્રાન્ટ ઇન એઈડ પ્રાથમિક શાળાઓના બાલવાટિકાથી ધોરણ ૮ સુધીના વિદ્યાર્થીઓને પી.એમ. પોષણ યોજનામાં આપવામાં આવતા બપોરના ભોજન ઉપરાંત આ યોજના અંતર્ગત પૌષ્ટિક અલ્પાહાર આપવામાં આવશે.
આ નવી યોજનાનો લાભ ૩૨,૨૭૭ શાળાના અંદાજે ૪૧ લાખ વિદ્યાર્થીઓને થશે.
આ યોજના અંતર્ગત, સપ્તાહ દરમિયાન ખાંડેલા સીંગદાણા સહિતની સુખડી, ચણા ચાટ, મિક્સ કઠોળ તથા શ્રી અન્ન(મીલેટ)માંથી બનાવેલી ખાદ્યસામગ્રી અલ્પાહાર સ્વરૂપે અપાશે.
આ હેતુસર મટીરીયલ કોસ્ટ માટે રૂ. ૪૯૩ કરોડ તથા પૌષ્ટિક અલ્પાહાર તૈયાર કરવાની વધારાની કામગીરી માટે માનદવેતન ધારકોને ૫૦ ટકા માનદવેતન વધારા માટે રૂ. ૧૨૪ કરોડ મળીને “મુખ્યમંત્રી પૌષ્ટિક અલ્પાહાર યોજના” માટે સમગ્રતયા વાર્ષિક રૂ. ૬૧૭ કરોડનો વધારાનો ખર્ચ રાજ્ય સરકાર ભોગવશે.
તદ્અનુસાર, પી.એમ. પોષણ યોજનાના માનદવેતનધારક સંચાલકને હવે રૂ. ૪૫૦૦ નું માસિક માનદવેતન, ૨૬ કે તેથી વધુ વિદ્યાર્થીઓ ધરાવતી શાળાઓના કૂક કમ હેલ્પરને માસિક રૂ. ૩૭૫૦ તથા નાની શાળાઓ માટે વધારાના સ્ટાફ-હેલ્પરને માસિક રૂ. ૧૫૦૦ માનદવેતન આપવામાં આવશે.
પૌષ્ટિક અલ્પાહાર આપવાનો નિર્ણય કરનારું ગુજરાત દેશનું અગ્રીમ રાજ્ય છે. વિદ્યાર્થીઓના સુપોષણ માટે આ યોજના ખૂબ મહત્ત્વની સાબિત થશે.
