Minister of state for human resources development D Purandeswari has said that over 13 crore children across the country are receiving benefits from the mid-day meal scheme.

"The mid-day meal scheme was introduced in 2001 in India, which has secured first position in implementing the mid-deal meal scheme in all Asian countries and over 13 crore children across the country are availing this scheme," the HRD minister said here yesterday after opening the Rs 1.6 crore integrated hostel building at Hasnabada village.

The scheme is not only providing meals but also providing nutritious food and taking care of health of the students under it, she said.

This integrated hostel has a facility to provide education to 400 students, state social welfare minister P Subash Chandra Bose said.

The main aim to set up integrated hostels is to create a coordination and improve relations among students coming from various walks of life, he said adding late chief minister Y Rajasekhara Reddy had given top priority to integrated hostels and IITs, and the state government will continue all schemes launched by him.

On Right to Education Act, Purandeshwari said its main aim is to educate children from grassroot level and give access to it for people from all sections of the society without any discretion.

"The state government is taking all steps to continue all the welfare and benefit scheme introduced by Y S R for the benefit of all sections of people.

Bose said the Andhra Pradesh government is taking steps for fee reimbursement to students whose parents' gross salary is not more than Rs one lakh per annum.

He said in 2001, only four lakh students availed the benefit of fee reimbursement and now it has gone upto 26 lakh students and government is now increasing the benefit to 30 lakhs students this year.

About 2,300 qualified voluntary teachers has been appointed for the benefit of students who are studying in hostels to achieve good results, he said adding the state government is also providing special benefit to scheduled caste pupils who are desire to take training in pilot courses.

Later minister of state for defence Pallam Raju and Purandeshwari after inaugurating a scheme in Gannavaram mandal of the district distributed the cheques to beneficiaries and visited the famous Shiva temple, Draksharama in the district and offered prayers