NGO Akshaya Patra's mid-day meal scheme passed off as Central scheme
Hyderabad: Amidst the news of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the ‘Poshaka Balyam’ project (to provide milk and eggs to children in all anganwadis in the state in a bid to improve nutrition levels),
By Newsmeter Network Published on 4 Aug 2022 1:27 PM GMT
Hyderabad: Amidst the news of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the 'Poshaka Balyam' project (to provide milk and eggs to children in all anganwadis in the state in a bid to improve nutrition levels), social media users are sharing posters of a similar project named 'Akshaya Patra'. They claim that a similar scheme has been launched by the Central government which has received no media attention.
The poster carries the logo of 'Akshaya Patra' along with photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and minister of women and child development Smriti Irani.
Netizens are claiming, "This is the Central government's Akshaya Patra scheme. How many of you know that eggs and milk are being given? Why is the name of the project not seen in the media?"
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FACT CHECK:
NewsMeter noticed that a link to the Akshaya Patra project was shared along with the posters. We reviewed the website and found that the scheme is launched by the Bengaluru-based NGO called The Akshaya Patra Foundation.
It is an organisation that works towards eliminating classroom hunger by implementing the mid-day meal scheme in government schools and government-aided schools.
The website clearly states that the NGO has partnered with the government of India and various state governments. This indicates that it is not a Central government project.
The NGO began in 2001 when the Supreme Court passed a mandate to provide cooked mid-day meals in all government and government-aided primary schools in all states. Today, Akshaya Patra works in 14 states and two Union territories.
NewsMeter reached out to the NGO and received confirmation that the foundation is "run by the support of the government of India and various state governments, along with the persistent support from corporates, individual donors, and well-wishers who have helped the foundation grow from serving just 1,500 children in five schools in 2000 to serving 1.8 million children."
A spokesperson told us, "Firstly, Akshaya Patra is not in Kerala. Our NGO is not involved in the mid-day meal activities of the state. Akshaya Patra is an NGO that provides mid-day meals in government schools and government-aided schools across the country."
With this, it is clear that the claim is false.
