Mid-day meal scheme starved of funds
Schools yet to receive grant for July, August
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 3
The financially struggling Punjab Government has not released money for mid-day meals in government schools for the past two months. To make matters worse, shopkeepers providing pulses and spices on credit to these schools have refused fresh supplies till the earlier dues are cleared.
Principal Secretary, School Education, Anjali Bhawra, said: “We have sent the bills to the Finance Department."
Reliable sources said the government needed to release a sum of Rs 7 crore to tide over the problem. Schools have not received any grant for the months of July and August. Ram Pal Hazara, vice-president of the Government Teachers Union Jalandhar, said: “Schools are facing hurdles in procuring salt, fuel and pulses as several shopkeepers have refused fresh supplies."
Head teacher Lakhbir Singh Kainth said that none of the 18 schools under his charge had got mid-day meals allowance for July and August. " We will be moving a resolution at the meeting of the school management committee for discontinuing the facility. We will ask children to bring their own food.”
Teachers claim that they have been paying from their own pocket for pulses, vegetables, salt, oil and fuel. There are allegations of certain schools spending funds meant for children on other things. “The schools have no option but to spend from the funds meant for providing meals,” confessed a principal.
Kamaljit Majithia, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Jethuwal, Amritsar, said: “We received funds for July in the last week of August. The delay caused several problems.
“While submitting the details, we are required to quote the exact figure for the mid-day meals. Since we are not shopkeepers, at times we get it wrong and have to give a clarification.” While introducing the scheme, the government had said that it was “to motivate parents to bring their wards to school.”
Failing its purpose
* While grain and rice are supplied to the schools directly, pulses, vegetables, salt, oil, fuel and other commodities are purchased by the schools
* The cooking cost per child fixed by the Centre is Rs 3.11 per child till Class V
* It is Rs 4.65 per child for upper primary classes (till Class VIII)
Kids go without meals
Muktsar: Students in nearly half of the government schools in the district could not be served mid-day meal on Tuesday because of shortage of funds, said sources. "The teachers are not getting their salaries on time and on top of it, they have to pay for the meals from own pocket. This is not possible any more," said a teacher. District Education Officer Devinder Kumar said he had apprised the higher-ups of the matter. — TNS
Schools yet to receive grant for July, August
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 3
The financially struggling Punjab Government has not released money for mid-day meals in government schools for the past two months. To make matters worse, shopkeepers providing pulses and spices on credit to these schools have refused fresh supplies till the earlier dues are cleared.
Principal Secretary, School Education, Anjali Bhawra, said: “We have sent the bills to the Finance Department."
Reliable sources said the government needed to release a sum of Rs 7 crore to tide over the problem. Schools have not received any grant for the months of July and August. Ram Pal Hazara, vice-president of the Government Teachers Union Jalandhar, said: “Schools are facing hurdles in procuring salt, fuel and pulses as several shopkeepers have refused fresh supplies."
Head teacher Lakhbir Singh Kainth said that none of the 18 schools under his charge had got mid-day meals allowance for July and August. " We will be moving a resolution at the meeting of the school management committee for discontinuing the facility. We will ask children to bring their own food.”
Teachers claim that they have been paying from their own pocket for pulses, vegetables, salt, oil and fuel. There are allegations of certain schools spending funds meant for children on other things. “The schools have no option but to spend from the funds meant for providing meals,” confessed a principal.
Kamaljit Majithia, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Jethuwal, Amritsar, said: “We received funds for July in the last week of August. The delay caused several problems.
“While submitting the details, we are required to quote the exact figure for the mid-day meals. Since we are not shopkeepers, at times we get it wrong and have to give a clarification.” While introducing the scheme, the government had said that it was “to motivate parents to bring their wards to school.”
Failing its purpose
* While grain and rice are supplied to the schools directly, pulses, vegetables, salt, oil, fuel and other commodities are purchased by the schools
* The cooking cost per child fixed by the Centre is Rs 3.11 per child till Class V
* It is Rs 4.65 per child for upper primary classes (till Class VIII)
Kids go without meals
Muktsar: Students in nearly half of the government schools in the district could not be served mid-day meal on Tuesday because of shortage of funds, said sources. "The teachers are not getting their salaries on time and on top of it, they have to pay for the meals from own pocket. This is not possible any more," said a teacher. District Education Officer Devinder Kumar said he had apprised the higher-ups of the matter. — TNS
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