Berhampur, Nov. 21: The Ganjam district administration will hold a training programme on usage of the LPG cylinder and the gas stove for cooks and helpers who prepare midday meals for students.

The decision has been taken in the wake of two fire mishaps in the midday meal kitchens of two schools in the district. Fire broke out in the kitchen of Phulta Upper Primary School under Rangeilunda block on November 16 and that of Sasanpadar Upper Primary School on October 22.

The administration feels that the situation in many school kitchens, where midday meal for students is prepared with LPG cylinders across the district, is not safe.

"The cooks and their helpers, who prepare the meal, are not properly trained in the usage of LPG cylinders and gas stoves.

"I have asked all the block education officers in Ganjam district to contact the LPG distributors and arrange for training programmes for the cooks and their helpers on how to use the cylinder and the gas stove within one week," said Ganjam district education officer Sanatan Panda.

At present, the meal is being provided to 5.15 lakh students in 4,050 primary and upper primary schools on all working days in Ganjam, and the administration spends Rs 40 crore per annum for the meal, said Panda.

"We provide Rs 1.20 lakh for each school kitchen and have received Rs 32.31 lakh for the construction of 3,718 kitchens till 2015-16. Many schools in the district have no kitchens," he said.

The state government has designed the school kitchens, according to the guidelines of the Union ministry of human resources development, since 2013.

The Centre had advised all the state governments to build each kitchen on 20 square metres and additional 4sqm for more than 100 students in a well-ventilated building.

There must be water supply and taps for the students to wash their hands before and after the meal as well as enough water to wash the food items.

"But, many kitchens in Ganjam have been constructed on smaller area considering the availability of the existing space," said Panda.

"We are planning to construct a central kitchen for the midday meal at Bhanjanagar to supply midday meal to the school students at Bhanjanagar, Belaguntha and Jagannathprasad," said the district education officer.

Ram Kumar Patra, a social activist of Berhampur, said the lives of hundreds of students were in danger.

"We should not waste time in the preparation of the midday meal in the schools in an unorganised way and put the life of thousands of students in danger.

"Instead of cooking the meal in the schools, we must opt for more central kitchens and make the process more systematic," said Patra.