‘Khaddya Chhaya’ scheme implemented at Jalpaiguri Med College

darjeeling: Just a few days ago, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had inaugurated the “ Khaddya Chhaya” scheme involving Self-Help Groups. The district administration and authorities of the Jalpaiguri Medical College have already implemented this project at Jalpaiguri Medical College and Hospital.

Under this scheme, canteens are run by Self-Help Groups. According to sources, three self-help groups have been entrusted with the responsibility of running canteens at three locations of the Medical College and Hospital under the “Khaddya Chhaya” scheme. It is a win-win situation for all. While the programme will benefit self-help groups, the officials opine that the staff and students of the Medical College Hospital will get food at a minimum price.

Under the “Khaddya Chhaya” project, the responsibility of supplying food to the staff and students of the Medical College Hospital has been given to self-help groups.

Already this project has commenced in Jalpaiguri Medical College and Hospital.

Tejaswi Rana, Jalpaiguri Additional District Magistrate Zilla Parishad and DRDC Acting Project Director, said that a total of 30 women from three self-help groups will benefit through this project. About four to five hundred students and staff of the Medical College Hospital will benefit. 3 meals will be provided in this canteen. As the medical college is new, there was no canteen before.

In 2005, the Supreme Court had directed women from self-help groups to cook mid-day meals in primary and upper primary schools. More than 3 thousand women are involved in cooking mid-day meals in a total of 1500 schools including primary and upper primary in Jalpaiguri district.

“Ma Canteen,” a welfare project of the West Bengal Government, had also commenced in several municipalities of the district, a few years ago. The canteen provides food at a nominal price.