Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 13: Thousand of students in a number of Government run schools are being deprived of proper Mid-day meal as the scheme is facing virtual closure because of non clearance of bills worth crores of rupees for the last several months.
Liabilities of more than Rs 40 crores on account of mid-day meal bills are pending for the last more than six months with the result that concerned teacher incharge in a number of Government run schools in Jammu and Kashmir are unable to continue the scheme further, official sources informed the Excelsior.
These staff members were managing the expenses of Mid-day meal for the last several months but non clearance of bills even on the closing month of last financial year have made the situation bad to worse leaving no option other than to unofficially close the scheme in some schools, sources added.
Even as the Education Minister claimed that the funds were released last month, the amount has not yet reached at the concerned quarters for distribution of the same and clearance of the pending bills.
Pertinent to mention that the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, popularly known as the Mid-day Meal Scheme was launched by the Government of India in 1995. The main objective of the scheme is to improve the nutritional status of children in Government run schools besides encouraging children from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend school regularly. The scheme is funded by the Government of India and the State is required to contribute only 10 percent of the Central share.
However, due to delay in submitting utilization certificate and non contribution of the State share by the previous Government, the Centre did not release the last year installment of funds, which resulted into multiplying the liabilities.
According to the sources, the Government schools in Jammu province have liabilities worth Rs 22 crores on account of Mid-day meal expenses and the teacher incharge were running the scheme by taking loan from the school fund and ration store for the last several months.
However, non-clearance of bills even in the concluding month of last financial year due to dry treasuries and delay in release of funds by the State Finance Department, on March 28, the situation turned from bad to worse forcing virtual closure of the scheme in a number of schools, sources explained and added that in Jammu division schools, Rs 19 lakh are spent per day on the mid-day meal scheme.
Further, the sources added, procedural wrangles at the Government level are also contributing in the delay in distribution of mid-day meal funds at the ground level. “Despite the fact that the funds under this scheme are sanctioned in advance by the Government of India, the same are kept withheld by the State Finance Department, which releases it to Education Department for further distribution at Directorate level, then CEO level and finally at ZEO level with the result that it takes months in receiving the money,” sources explained.
When contacted the Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar held the previous Government responsible for the crisis as the State share was not released for the reasons best known to the people at helm of affairs at that time. “However, he added, after we took up the matter with the Central Government and appropriate steps were taken, funds have been released and there is no report of closure of the scheme in any school of the State.
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