SHILLONG: Despite the allocation of funds to the tune of Rs 88.55 crore for the mid day meal scheme in Meghalaya during the last fiscal, the implementation of the scheme in schools across the State remains extremely discouraging thanks to the failure on the part of the State Education department.
As per available information, majority of the schools are not implementing the mid day meal scheme. Instead, funds under the scheme are being diverted for other purposes by the schools.
It has been learnt that the schools have been able to divert funds since the Education department does not have enough manpower to properly monitor the implementation of the scheme.
During the financial year 2014-15 the State government had approved 11,227 schools in the State for the mid day meal scheme. Government-managed schools, adhoc and deficit schools qualified for the mid day meal scheme under which approximately 5.14 lakh school children are supposed to get free mid day meals.
Education department projects a bigger sum for current fiscal
Despite the near non-implementation of the mid day meal scheme in schools across the State, the Education department has placed a projection of Rs 107.98 crore as expenditure for the mid day meal scheme for the 2015-16 fiscal.
Mid day meal scheme state nodal officer Akash Deep said that the department with the skeletal manpower at its disposal is doing all it can to monitor the implementation of the scheme.
According to him, shortage of manpower is the prime reason behind the inability of the department to properly monitor the implementation of the scheme.
“From the district to the block levels, the officials involved in the monitoring of the scheme are already overburdened by other responsibilities,” Akash Deep said adding that the officials have been asked to monitor at least 10 schools in their respective areas.
Monitoring teams taking state nodal officer for a ride?
Interestingly, none of the monitoring teams of the Sducation department at the district and block levels have reported to the state nodal officer either about the tardy or complete non-implementation of the mid day meal scheme in schools though it is an open secret that primary and upper primary school students do not get the free food provided by the government.
The government provides food grains like rice through the deputy commissioner (supply) to the schools and for other items like dal, vegetables, edible oil, cooking cost etc., money is given.
Schools that are implementing the mid day meal scheme are supposed to display the meal that is being served daily on a board. However, none of the schools follow this direction as they do not serve the mid day meal.
One of the teachers said on condition of anonymity that her school does not provide mid day meal to the students despite being a beneficiary of the scheme. According to her, the rice that the school gets is diverted to the school hostel, while the hostel cook is given the Rs 1000 under the scheme and the money given to buy other food items apparently goes missing.
The story is no different in most other schools.
Akash Deep said that he has not received any such reports from any of the officers. He, however, assured that soon the state will have dedicated teams whose job will be to monitor the implementation of the mid day meal scheme in the schools.
He also assured that action will be taken against any school that fails to provide meal under the scheme.
