Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has decided to widen the scope of its flagship Mukhyamantri Poshan Yojana (MMPY) by extending free Mid-Day Meals to students of Classes IX and X enrolled in government and government-aided secondary schools across the state.
The decision, approved by the State Cabinet on Wednesday, is aimed at improving adolescent nutrition, encouraging students to continue their education and strengthening overall educational outcomes at the secondary level.
The Mukhyamantri Poshan Yojana, introduced in April 2025, was launched with the objective of ensuring access to nutritious meals while addressing issues related to attendance, student retention and academic performance.
With the latest expansion, the programme is expected to cover nearly 57.41 lakh students between 2025 and 2030, making it one of the state’s major school welfare initiatives. The government has projected an overall expenditure of ₹4,224.46 crore for implementation over five years.
Officials informed that in the financial year 2025–26, around 11.23 lakh students studying in 8,962 schools have already benefited under the programme, with expenditure reaching ₹665.36 crore.
The Cabinet also approved expenditure already incurred and sanctioned continued implementation for the remaining period, including an additional allocation of ₹3,506.99 crore to extend meal support to nearly 46.6 lakh students over the next four years.
Government officials said the expanded coverage is expected to support adolescent health, reduce school dropouts and encourage greater enrolment and continuity in secondary education across Odisha.
