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| Education deptt diverts around Rs 10 cr for implementation of mid-day meal scheme | | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 1: In what could be termed as a tip of the ice-berg vis-à-vis embezzlement going on in the Department of Education it has come to the fore that around Rs. 10 crores were diverted by the department for implementation of mid day meal scheme.
In its report for the year ending March 31, 2015, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has written that, "Delay in release of funds to the implementing agencies resulted in non-providing of mid day meal to 1.31 lakh children during the year 2011. Further, the school authorities diverted Rs. 9.60 crores from local funds for running the mid day meal scheme."
The CAG report said that shortage of cook cum helpers in schools resulted in involvement of teaching staff in running the mid day meal scheme. It said that Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) was submitted to the Government of India without factoring in genuine requirements and basic data from schools/zones.
"The annual plan approved for allocation of quantity of food grains was higher than the required quantity and the excess allocation ranged between 26 percent and 55 percent despite the fact that there was no increase in enrolment of school children," said the CAG report.
The CAG report said that audit noticed that the nodal agency prepared AWP&B on the basis of enrolment of school children as on September 30 of the preceding year and submitted to the Government of India without factoring in genuine requirements and basic data from schools/zones.
"As such, the AWP&B was not based on realistic data and could not take into account any future requirements. This impacted the provision of funds adversely for the components such as kitchen-cum-store shed, kitchen devices and engagement of cooks to the concerned schools," said the CAG report.
The CAG report said that the mid day meal to all eligible children for all days of attendance was not ensured. The report said that there was a shortfall of 29 percent to 44 percent in this whole process.
"The mid day meal scheme introduced in the government schools to give a fillip to the enrolment of the students has failed to deliver since a shortfall amounting to 44 percent has been recorded in Jammu & Kashmir," said the CAG report.
The CAG report said that the Government of India launched the mid day meal scheme in 1995 with the objective of boosting primary education by increasing enrolment, retention and attendance of students in government schools and Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) centres. In Jammu & Kashmir till 2007-08 cooked mid day meal was provided to primary students of classes I to IV. However, from 2008-09, the scheme was also extended to upper primary stage (upto class VIII). |
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