Thiruvananthapuram | Keralam is willing to extend the school mid-day meal scheme to students up to Plus Two level and has conveyed its consent to the Centre in this regard, state General Education Minister N Samsudheen said on Wednesday.

The minister said the state had conveyed its consent at a meeting held in Delhi last month on extending the Centre-sponsored PM POSHAN scheme to students of Classes 9 to 12.

Currently, the PM POSHAN scheme, popularly known as the mid-day meal scheme, covers students of Classes I to VIII in government and government-aided schools.

Samsudheen was speaking after inaugurating the state-level distribution of Onam special rice for school students here.

"Food is a basic right of every citizen, and it should be protected in a welfare state," the minister said.

He said the government aimed to ensure that families could celebrate Onam without financial difficulties and wished students success in their Onam examinations.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob, who was the guest at the function, said around 23.5 lakh students in government and aided schools would benefit from the distribution of four kg of free rice each.

Around 905 metric tonnes of rice is being distributed to students through Supplyco on the initiative of the General Education Department, he said.

Jacob said the government was taking measures through the Civil Supplies, Consumerfed and Agriculture departments to control price rise in the open market.

Distribution of Onam kits to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families was 90 per cent complete, and the kits would be available at all ration shops in the coming days, he said.

An Onam kit usually comprises tea, whole and split varieties of green gram, semolina payasam mix, ghee, cashew nuts, coconut oil, sambar powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, toor dal, powdered salt and a cloth bag.

The function was held at Pattom Government Girls Higher Secondary School here and was presided over by Health Minister K Muraleedharan.