Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday announced a scheme to distribute free rice and provision kits to school children from pre-primary to class eight in government and aided schools.
           
This will benefit over 26 lakh students in government and aided schools registered under the mid-day meals programme.
       
The kits will be delivered by the first week of July, Vijayan told reporters here.
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"The government has been constantly intervening to ensure the food security of the people in spite of the crisis caused by the Covid pandemic.
    
Several projects have already been implemented in this regard," he said.
       
Anganwadi children were provided with nutritional supplements at home.
    
During the lockdown period, free rations were provided through ration shops.
    
Food was supplied to households who had difficulty going to these shops.
    
Free provision kits were also distributed.
    
"As a continuation of these activities, school children, who used to benefit from the mid-day meals programme, will be given free provision kits," he said.
       
The grocery kits would contain rice and nine  other items like lentils, sugar, curry powder, salt, etc, Vijayab said, adding, Rs 81.37 crore has been approved for this purpose.