Jammu, May 21 (IANS). Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday laid the foundation stone of Akshaya Patra’s centralized kitchen facility in Katra. Once operational, the facility will provide 5,000 nutritious meals to school children every day.
The Lieutenant Governor also talked about Akshaya Patra’s future projects in the Union Territory, including the upcoming kitchen facility to be built in Jammu.
He said that I urged for stronger collaboration between the government and social organizations to empower the young generation. We must ensure that school children get balanced and nutritious food. Every child has the right to access healthy food and we must ensure that no child is left behind.
LG Manoj Sinha talked about the importance of heritage in ordinary life and emphasized that it rests on three questions. What are we creating, what are we preserving, and what will we pass on to future generations.
He said that we should add one more question to this list. What are we feeding our children? Nurturing our young generation will shape the future of our country.
The Lieutenant Governor said that a hungry child cannot learn, and a school that cannot feed its children cannot honestly create equal opportunities for progress.
He said that decades of global research and its results have shown that nutrition and education are not separate things, the foundation of education rests on good nutrition. Children who eat a balanced and nutritious diet are able to concentrate better, remember information more effectively and participate more actively in class.
The Lieutenant Governor said that proteins, vitamins and a balanced diet provide the basic energy for a child to think and understand. I want every school in Jammu and Kashmir to remember that when we provide nutritious food in schools, we are not just filling the stomach, but we are shaping the future.
He further said that the next generation is not only our future, but they are the living expression of the dreams and aspirations that we want to realize as a nation. Their education, health and self-confidence is a shared pledge and collective responsibility of the society. The values, knowledge and faith that we transmit to children today will shape the future of Jammu and Kashmir and India in the coming decades.
The Lieutenant Governor appreciated the selfless service of Akshaya Patra. Akshaya Patra is one of the world’s largest NGOs in school feeding, currently providing meals to over 20 lakh children across 16 states and 3 union territories.
–IANS
DKM/DKP