THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has allocated Rs 81.57 crore to settle the pending dues to schools on account of the noon meal scheme. The amount released by the state is half of its annual share in the PM-POSHAN noon meal scheme, in which 60 per cent of the cost is borne by the Centre and the remaining by the state.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday that the amount will be used to clear the full dues of June and July and a portion of the expenses incurred in August.
The remaining fund will be allocated once the Centre releases the pending dues, he added. The total outlay for the noon meal scheme this year is Rs 447.46 crore. This includes the Centre’s allocation of Rs 284.31 crore and the state’s share is Rs 163.15 crore.
The state had complained that the Centre has not released its first instalment of funds, which amounts to Rs 170.59 crore, for the current academic year.
During the fag end of the previous academic year (2022-23), the Centre has transferred Rs 132.90 crore to the state. It had directed the state government to transfer the same amount from its treasury to the State Nodal Account (SNA), along with a matching state share of Rs 76.78 crore.
The state had cited technicalities for such a transfer following which the Centre took a stance that it would not release further funds till the account was settled.