The concept of invitation meal is based on a community partnership: Collector
Jagdalpur. Collector Vijay Dayaram K. said that the concept of Nyota Bhojan is based on a community participation. On the initiative of the Chief Minister, there is a program to have food with school children by the society, senior citizens or general public. It is based on the Indian tradition of providing food to a large number of people on various festivals or occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, marriages and national festivals etc. Community members can provide nutritious and tasty food to children in the form of extra food items or complete meals on such occasions, festivals. This is completely voluntary and people in the community or any social organization can contribute either a complete meal or food items as additional supplementary nutrition. He said that not every person is blessed with nutritious food, therefore, understanding the importance of food grains, one should not waste them. Along with this, he said that the administration will try to organize such an event every week with the participation of societies and senior citizens.
On Friday, Collector Vijay and District Panchayat CEO Prakash Sarve served food to the school children and had dinner with the present society members and journalists. The invitational luncheon held at the city’s Town Hall was organized in collaboration with the administration as well as officials of the Friendship Association and the Buddhist Society. Representatives of societies also gave their statements in the program. On this occasion, District Education Officer Bharati Pradhan, BEO M Bhardwaj and other officials of the education department were present.
It may be noted that an innovative initiative has been taken to make the hot food given to students in the schools of Chhattisgarh under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Yojana more nutritious due to community participation. According to the provision of date meal on community basis in the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana guidelines for providing food to students during school hours, it has been decided to implement it in the state of Chhattisgarh under the name of ‘Nyota Bhojan’. The objective of Nyota Bhojan is to develop a sense of belonging among the community, to increase the nutritional value of food and to develop a sense of equality among children of all community sections. The concept of invitation dining is based on community participation. This is completely voluntary and people of the community or any social organization can contribute complete meals to the students studying in schools or can contribute food items as additional supplementary nutrition. Invited meals will not be a substitute for school meals, but will complement the meals offered to students.
