Trouble for Mid-day meals! Suvendu govt directs schools to cut cooking oil and LPG use by 10%

The West Bengal School Education Department has directed all schools across the state to reduce the use of cooking oil and LPG by 10 percent while preparing meals under the PM Poshan Scheme. The order was issued through an official memorandum dated May 18, 2026, following instructions from the state’s Chief Secretary. District magistrates, sub-divisional officers, the education department of the GTA, and the chairman of the Kolkata Primary School Council have been asked to implement the directive immediately.

According to the state government, the decision has been taken to promote healthier eating habits among schoolchildren and address concerns related to childhood obesity. The advisory stated that the PM Poshan programme provides an opportunity to encourage students to consume fresh and nutritious meals prepared with minimal oil usage. Authorities said reducing oil consumption in school meals could help lower obesity-related health risks among children.

The directive, implemented jointly by the Union Education Ministry and the state school education department, instructed schools and cooks to avoid deep-frying food items during meal preparation. Educational institutions have instead been advised to adopt alternative cooking methods such as grilling, steaming and boiling while preparing food for students under the scheme.

Under the existing food norms of the PM Poshan Scheme, primary school students are allotted 5 grams of cooking oil per day, while upper primary students are allotted 7.5 grams. The latest order requires schools to ensure a 10 percent reduction within these prescribed limits while continuing to maintain the nutritional standards of midday meals.

The memorandum also instructed authorities to monitor the implementation of the revised cooking guidelines at the institutional level. Schools have been directed to enforce the reduction in oil and LPG consumption with immediate effect as part of the state’s broader effort to promote healthier dietary practices among students enrolled under the PM Poshan programme.