J&K L-G Manoj Sinha lays foundation of Akshaya Patra kitchen in Katra, 5,000 meals daily
Synopsis
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone of Akshaya Patra's centralised kitchen in Katra — a facility that will serve 5,000 school meals daily. His message was pointed: nutrition and education are not separate, and no child can learn on an empty stomach. A Jammu kitchen is also in the pipeline, expanding the Foundation's reach across the Union Territory.
Key Takeaways
J&K L-G Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone of Akshaya Patra Foundation's centralised kitchen in Katra on 21 May 2025 .
The facility will provide 5,000 nutritious meals to school children every day once operational.
A second kitchen facility in Jammu is also planned as part of Akshaya Patra's expansion in the Union Territory.
Akshaya Patra currently serves more than 20 lakh children across 16 states and 3 Union Territories in India.
The L-G emphasised that nutrition and education are inseparable, calling balanced school meals a 'collective responsibility of society.'
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday, 21 May laid the foundation stone of Akshaya Patra Foundation's centralised kitchen facility in Katra, a project that will deliver 5,000 nutritious meals to school children every day once operational. The event marks a significant step in expanding mid-day meal infrastructure across the Union Territory.
What the Facility Will Deliver
The new centralised kitchen in Katra is designed to prepare and distribute 5,000 balanced meals daily to students in the region. L-G Sinha also spoke about Akshaya Patra's forthcoming kitchen facility in Jammu, signalling a broader rollout across the Union Territory. He personally served meals to school students present at the ceremony.
What the L-G Said
'A hungry child cannot learn, and a school that cannot feed its children cannot honestly create equal opportunities for progress,' Sinha said at the event. He urged stronger collaboration between government bodies and social organisations to empower the younger generation, stressing that 'every child deserves access to healthy food and we need to make sure no child is left behind.'
Sinha framed nutrition as inseparable from education, citing decades of global research. 'Children who eat balanced, nutritious meals concentrate better, retain information more effectively, and participate more actively in class,' he said. 'When we provide nutritious meals in schools, we are not merely filling stomachs but we are shaping future thinking.'
The Broader Significance
The L-G invoked the question of generational legacy, arguing that society must ask not only what it is creating and preserving, but also 'what are we feeding our children?' He noted that protein, vitamins, and a balanced diet supply the foundational energy required for a child's cognitive development. 'The next generation is not just our future but they are the living expression of the dream and aspiration we wish to build as a nation,' he added.
This comes amid a sustained national push to strengthen school nutrition programmes as a tool for reducing learning inequality, particularly in regions like Jammu and Kashmir where access to quality meals in schools has historically been uneven.
About Akshaya Patra
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is among the world's largest NGOs operating in the school meal sector. It currently serves more than 20 lakh children across 16 states and 3 Union Territories in India. Bharatarshabha Dasa, National President and Trustee of the Foundation, attended the ceremony alongside senior officials including Mandeep K. Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the L-G, and Ram Niwas Sharma, Commissioner/Secretary of the School Education Department.
Who Attended
The foundation stone ceremony was attended by Baldev Raj Sharma, Member of Legislative Assembly from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi; Kuldeep Raj Dubey, MLA from Reasi; Bhim Sen Tuti, Kashmir IGP; Ramesh Kumar, Jammu Divisional Commissioner; Shiv Kumar Sharma, DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range; Kumar Abhishek, Reasi Deputy Commissioner; Uday C. Rege from Savita Oil Technologies; and a large number of students and Akshaya Patra Foundation members.
With the Jammu kitchen also in the pipeline, the Foundation's footprint in Jammu and Kashmir is set to expand further in the coming months.
Point of View
But the real test is scale and consistency — serving 5,000 meals a day in a single facility barely scratches the surface of J&K's school-age population. Akshaya Patra's model works where it is given logistical and administrative continuity; the Union Territory's terrain and dispersed school network make that harder than in plains states. L-G Sinha's framing of nutrition as a governance priority is the right signal, but political speeches at foundation-stone ceremonies have a poor conversion rate into sustained programme delivery. The Jammu kitchen announcement needs a timeline and a budget to be more than an aspiration.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Akshaya Patra centralised kitchen in Katra?
It is a centralised meal preparation facility being built in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, by the Akshaya Patra Foundation. Once operational, it will provide 5,000 nutritious meals to school children every day.
Who laid the foundation stone of the Akshaya Patra kitchen in Katra?
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone on 21 May 2025 at a ceremony in Katra attended by senior officials, MLAs, and students.
How many children does Akshaya Patra currently serve across India?
The Akshaya Patra Foundation currently serves more than 20 lakh children across 16 states and 3 Union Territories, making it one of the world's largest NGOs in the school meal sector.
Are there more Akshaya Patra facilities planned for Jammu and Kashmir?
Yes. L-G Sinha also spoke about an upcoming centralised kitchen facility in Jammu, indicating a broader expansion of Akshaya Patra's operations across the Union Territory.
Why did L-G Sinha stress the link between nutrition and education?
Sinha cited decades of global research showing that children who receive balanced, nutritious meals concentrate better, retain information more effectively, and participate more actively in class. He argued that a hungry child cannot learn and that school meals are foundational to equal educational opportunity.
