BHUBANESWAR: For the last six months, schools in the state have not received funds for providing mid-day meals (MDM) to children.This, though, has not disrupted MDM in schools as headmasters and school committee chairpersons (in some cases) are spending funds from their own arrangement for the purpose with an assurance from the School and Mass Education department to reimburse the money soon.
Sources said since September last year, the state government has not provided any funds to the schools for MDM because of Central delay. The noon meals under PM-POSHAN is run with the 60:40 cost arrangement between the Centre and state respectively. Under this arrangement, while Centre bears the total cost of food grains, transportation of food grains and management and monitoring of the mid-day meals, state bears the cooking cost and honorarium to cooks-cum-helpers. The state has engaged over a lakh cooks to prepare the meals who are getting Rs 1,400 per month.
Special secretary of School and Mass Education department Raghuram Iyer said as the Centre has not released its share of funds, the allocation to schools has been delayed.According to the PM-POSHAN portal, 44,28,963 schoolchildren of both primary and upper primary schools in the state are being provided lunch. And for ration, an amount of Rs 5.42 and Rs 8.10 is being spent for each student at primary and upper primary level respectively. The day to day expenditure is to be made on the prevailing market price, availability of seasonal vegetables, keeping the average unit cost of expenditure at Rs 25.42 for primary students and Rs 18.10 for upper primary students. Official reports state that 44,28,963 schoolchildren of both primary and upper primary schools in the state are being provided the noon meals.
School and Mass Education Minister Samir Dash said, “We used our 40 pc share to fund the meals for a few months and have assured the schools headmasters to reimburse the expenses once the Central share arrives. The department will this week write to the Ministry of Education to look into the issue and release the funds at the earliest.”