Smart Kitchens to Serve One Lakh Students in Kadapa

Kadapa: In a major initiative to strengthen the mid-day meal programme, the Kadapa district administration is set to roll out a smart kitchen system that will serve nearly one lakh students every day.

The project, being implemented under the Dokka Seethamma mid-day meal programme, is in its final phase, with 33 centralised kitchen units being established to ensure efficient preparation and distribution of meals. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with women self-help groups.

Officials said the programme is being introduced in phases. While a few kitchens have already begun operations, the remaining units are undergoing trial runs. Once fully operational, the system is expected to streamline bulk cooking and ensure the timely supply of hot, nutritious meals to students.

Equipped with modern cooking facilities, the kitchens are designed to maintain high standards of hygiene and food quality. The district administration is targeting full implementation by the end of August.

The project has received a positive response from students and parents, particularly for the quality and taste of the meals. Feedback is also being collected from parents through an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) to further improve the service.

A total of `20.81 crore is being spent on establishing the 33 smart kitchens, with each unit costing around ₹63 lakh.

Officials said challenges relating to power supply, drinking water, gas banks, solar installations, internet connectivity, food safety certification and staffing are being addressed on priority to ensure timely completion.

District collector Dr Sreedhar Cherukuri said the primary objective was to provide every student with hot, hygienic and nutritious meals on time. He said the smart kitchens, managed by women self-help groups, had shown encouraging results and would be fully operational by the end of August, setting a model for the rest of the state.