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According to a recently released annual report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, around 76% of schools in Uttar Pradesh use low-quality foodgrain for midday meals. The report also highlights several irregularities in the scheme’s implementation
“Inspection of foodgrain used revealed that broken grains in excess of permissible limits, foreign matter and damaged grains were used in 243 schools of the 320 inspected,” says the annual report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India that contains audit observations of the midday meal scheme for 2006-2007. “Improvement in the nutritional status of the children was not ensured by providing micro-nutrient supplements and de-worming medicines. No periodical health check-up of the children was conducted either,” it adds. Stating that the Uttar Pradesh government did not conduct a baseline survey during 2004-05 to determine the enrolment of children, as directed by the Centre, the report says: “The data relating to attendance and retention of children was not also collected.” Further, the report indicates misuse of funds and financial irregularities. It reports that foodgrain worth Rs 121.98 crore remained with the transporting agencies (2002-2007) and fair price shops (2005-2007), indicating poor transportation of grain. “Deficient scrutiny of transportation claims of the transporting agencies for 2002-2007 by the finance controller and the basic shiksha parishad resulted in the excess reimbursement of Rs 81.88 crore by December 2007 to the agencies.” “Fair price shopkeepers retained 3.58 crore empty gunny bags during 2002-07, resulting in an undue benefit of Rs 43.86 crore to them,” the report elaborates. Apart from these irregularities, the report also focuses on the reach of the scheme. Around 1.63 crore children in drought-affected areas did not receive the benefit of the scheme during the summer vacation of 2005 and 2007, violating the directives of the Supreme Court. Of the 96,457 schools in the state, 36,489 did not have kitchen sheds. Of the 320 schools inspected, around 61 did not have adequate kitchen devices and potable water. Earlier, in May 2009, the Uttar Pradesh government found that many schools were not implementing the scheme and initiated action against the principals and teachers of around 105 government-run schools in Hamirpur district. “In an ongoing surprise inspection we found that the schools were not providing regular lunch to their students under the midday meal scheme,” the official in charge of primary education in the district, Mahendra Kumar, said. Kumar has written to the district magistrate for action to be initiated against the school staff. There are 790 primary schools and 364 upper primary schools in Hamirpur, which is around 300 km from Lucknow. About 150,000 schools are covered by the midday meal scheme in Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme, lunch is provided to students till Class 8. Over 18.6 million students are enrolled under the scheme. According to the rules, every child must be given a meal each day for at least 200 days a year. The midday meal scheme, also known as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, was launched by the central government in August 15, 1995, with the aim of universalising primary education by improving enrolment, attendance and retention, and raising nutritional levels among children. The programme also seeks to promote hygienic and sanitary practices, break caste prejudices through the sharing of meals, and foster gender equality among schoolchildren. Source: The Indian Express, June 2, 2009
The Indian Express, May 30, 2009
PTI, May 29, 2009
The Telegraph, May 25, 2009
IANS, May 20, 2009
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