Gorakhpur: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday inaugurated a centralised kitchen established by the Akshaya Patra Foundation in Gorakhpur with support from UP govt and said ensuring access to hygienic and nutritious food for children is essential for building a healthy, prosperous and self-reliant society.Yogi said good health begins with healthy eating habits and cleanliness and freedom from malnutrition can only be achieved when children receive nutritious meals prepared and served under hygienic conditions. “A healthy body leads to a healthy mind, andhealthy children will become the foundation of a prosperous society and a strong nation,” he said.The chief minister said Akshaya Patra Foundation’s emphasis on hygiene, nutrition and quality in preparing mid-day meals for schoolchildren is a model and noted the organisation operates large-scale kitchens in Mathura, Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra and Kanpur, and that Gorakhpur has been added to the network with govt support.Yogi said the newly inaugurated facility will initially provide freshly cooked meals to more than 55,000 students and gradually expand its reach to 1 lakh children in accordance with the prescribed menu under the PM Poshan scheme. He added that while govt provides food grains and conversion costs, Akshaya Patra is responsible for preparing and distributing meals efficiently.Emphasising food safety, the chief minister said cleanliness is the first criterion for judging food quality. “Whether food is prepared at home or outside, hygiene must come first. Lapses in cleanliness often result in food-borne illnesses and food poisoning,” he said while praising the foundation for maintaining high standards in its operations.Yogi said children receiving nutritious meals through the initiative would contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India. “Healthy children will grow into capable citizens and become the driving force behind a prosperous society and a powerful nation,” he said.The chief minister also underlined the role of education in nation-building, describing it as the foundation of a prosperous society.He said initiatives such as Mission Kayakalp in basic schools and Project Alankar in secondary schools have significantly improved infrastructure and learning conditions in UP. On educational reforms over past nine years, he said the transformation had been recognised by NITI Aayog as a success story.Yogi said board examinations are now fair and transparent and results are declared much faster, allowing students more time for learning and added that smart classrooms, digital libraries and Atal Tinkering Labs are strengthening education, while Abhyudaya coaching centres are helping students prepare for competitive exams across UP.Akshaya Patra co-founder and vice-chairman Chanchalapati Dasa thanked the CM for providing nearly 2.5 acres land and financial assistance for the project and said the kitchen can prepare and distribute 1 lakh hot, nutritious meals daily and currently serves 55,000 children in 546 schools, with plans to expand to 1,570 schools. Yogi served meals to schoolchildren and planted an amla sapling on the campus.
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