HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 16: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday laid the foundation stone and performed the bhoomi pujan for a centralised community kitchen of the Akshaya Patra Foundation at Bebejia Kumartup in the Azad area of Lakhimpur district.
According to an official statement, the facility will be built over 16 bighas and 3 kathas of land at an estimated cost of ₹25.50 crore and is aimed at providing midday meals to schoolchildren across the district.
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The kitchen, being set up under the PM Poshan scheme—a component of the Samagra Shiksha Mission—is expected to be completed by September 2025.
The complex will include a staff training centre, a multipurpose hall, administrative offices, senior management quarters, and other necessary infrastructure.
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Sarma described the event as a milestone for Lakhimpur’s education sector.
He stated that with support from the state government and the Akshaya Patra Foundation, the kitchen will deliver nutritious and hygienic meals to students on time, allowing teachers to focus solely on academics.
He added that this initiative would also improve student attendance and learning outcomes.
Recalling his tenure as Assam’s minister of education and health, Sarma said he was inspired by the Foundation’s work during a visit to Bengaluru, after which he invited it to Assam.
The collaboration began in Jalukbari and was later extended to Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts.
In 2022, a kitchen was launched in Jorhat, with similar facilities under construction in Majuli and Nalbari.
Preparatory work is also underway in Sonitpur, and a foundation stone was laid for another unit in Dibrugarh just a day earlier.
Calling food provision a humanitarian service, the chief minister praised the Akshaya Patra Foundation for effectively utilising both government and private resources to deliver nutritious meals.
He said the Foundation also extends support during natural disasters, such as by providing food to flood relief camps.
On employment concerns, Sarma assured that cooks and helpers engaged under the previous midday meal scheme would not be displaced.
Instead, they would be employed by the Foundation to help with the distribution of meals delivered to schools.
The chief minister reiterated the government’s commitment to public welfare, citing schemes such as the 108 ambulance service and the establishment of cancer treatment centres.
He also mentioned the government’s efforts to bring prominent national institutions to Assam to accelerate the state’s development.
The event was attended by Education Minister and Guardian Minister of Lakhimpur Ranoj Pegu, MP Pradan Baruah, MLAs Manab Deka, Naba Kumar Doley, and Amiya Kumar Bhuyan, as well as senior officials of the state government.
