According to sources, eggs are supplied to such centres as part of the State Government’s nutrition programme in 14 blocks and three NACs of Koraput district. Around seven lakh eggs are required every week to be provided to the beneficiaries, The New Indian Express reports.

While the government has fixed the egg procurement rate at Rs 3.60 per piece, the cost has gone up to Rs 7 per egg in the local markets. Though it is mandatory to provide the egg to the beneficiaries, the price hike has left the teachers and Anganwadi workers in a quandary.

"We cannot skip egg from the food supplement being provided to the children. We are trying to adjust the diet within the prescribed budget fixed by government," said a teacher of Jeypore block.

According to sources, hundreds of schools and Anganwadi centres in the district are either adjusting the diet or procuring eggs from local shops at high price expecting that the government would increase the procurement price in future.

Market sources here said as the tribal district does not have any major poultry farm, the local traders depend on neighbouring Andhra Pradesh markets for getting the eggs. However, non-availability of eggs in Andhra market has aggravated the situation in the last couple of days due to continuous rain.

Meanwhile, egg supplying agencies and NGOs working in the tribal areas have appealed to the district administration to control the egg price to streamline the food supplement programme.