HP: ₹119 Crore Sought from Centre for Mid-Day Meals; ₹746 Crore Requested Under Samagra Shiksha

May 12, 2026

The Himachal Pradesh government has sought Rs 119 crore from the Central Government for the year 2026-27 to continue the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) currently operational in government schools. This proposal was presented by the Education Department before the Central Government during a Pre-Project Approval Board (Pre-PAB) meeting held virtually on Monday.

Representing Himachal’s stance during the virtual meeting, Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar stated that mid-day meals are being provided daily to approximately 4.82 lakh students across the state, ranging from the pre-nursery to the eighth grade. In remote and tribal regions, this scheme is playing a pivotal role not only in improving the nutritional levels of children but also in boosting school attendance.

The state government has urged the Centre to provide budgetary allocations for food grains, honorariums for cooks-cum-helpers, transportation, cooking gas, and other operational expenses. During the meeting, it was highlighted that, given its status as a hilly state, Himachal incurs higher costs for the transportation and handling of food supplies compared to states located in the plains.

Under the PM POSHAN Scheme, meals are being provided to children in thousands of government schools across the state in strict adherence to prescribed standards. The government asserts that the receipt of adequate budgetary funds will enable the scheme to be implemented even more effectively.

It is reported that the main meeting of the Project Approval Board is scheduled to take place after May 20; during this meeting, final decisions regarding proposals submitted by various states will be taken, and the respective budgets will be sanctioned. The specific financial allocation to be received by Himachal Pradesh from the Centre will also be determined during this very meeting.