Addressing the Cabinet media briefing earlier today he said that measures will be taken to distribute essential dry ration packs worth Rs. 965 each to 1.2 million students. Among the items included would be eggs, samaposha, rice, noodles, biscuit, gram, cowpea etc. This initiative would be done as a pilot project.

The program to provide a nutritious daily meal to children of low-income families was initiated in 2006 under the Mahinda Chinthanaya program and Cabinet approval has been granted to increase the Rs. 30 per child allocation to Rs. 35, Minister Pathirana said.