West Bengal government withdraws Akshaya Patra Foundation meal approval

The West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has withdrawn approval for the Akshaya Patra Foundation to provide Mid-Day Meals at state-run schools in four districts: North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Purulia, and East Midnapore.

Following this decision, schools in these regions will revert to the previous system of cooking and serving meals within school campuses. The Annamrita Foundation, another branch of ISKCON, will maintain its role in preparing and serving meals within the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an arm of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was initially tasked with providing meals following a change in state leadership. The expansion of the program to these four districts had not yet commenced at the time of the withdrawal. The government has not provided a formal clarification regarding the sudden decision.