PUNE: The midday meal scheme that keeps thousands of children in school and malnourishment at bay has run off the rails in academic year 2021-22 in Maharashtra.
Students in many aided primary schools are waiting for the state government to finalise a supplier so that they get their take-home ration in place of the midday meal. The students have not received the ration money in their bank accounts for the two summer vacation months in 2021.
Nearly one crore students from Std I to VIII in the state get a free freshly cooked meal for lunch every school day as part of the national scheme now called Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman. In the state, the meal includes khichdi made from rice and dal. But when the pandemic shut down schools, the state government decided to offer them take-home ration of grain and pulses.
Before the start of this academic year, the state government floated a tendering process to choose suppliers for distributing dry ration in rural areas. Self-help groups operating central kitchens were to be given the order to distribute dry ration in urban areas.
School education minister Varsha Gaikwad, accepting that there has been an inordinate delay in giving out dry ration to the students, said the orders for more than 20 districts are almost final and the grain and pulses will be distributed within 10 days. The minister said court cases had disrupted the distribution process.
Gaikwad said, "The tender for the academic year 2021-22 was floated last March. However, some vendors from five districts challenged us in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court and the court ordered a stay on the entire process. It was lifted only on September 25 last year, after which we resumed the tendering. We received 180 applications which have been scrutinized and samples have been sent to the government laboratories. All this has taken some time and the Covid-19 situation further increased the delay."
A senior government official said the work order for 22 districts has been finalized and distribution will start within the next 8-10 days.
The remaining eight districts will get it by next month, but the five districts will face more delay as the case is sub judice.
Mahesh Palkar, in-charge of the primary education directorate, said, "We had told all students to open a bank account and link it to their Aadhaar, but not all have done so. We have forwarded the money to the blocks and it will be transferred to the students' accounts."
Repeat Of Last Year, Say Teachers
The association of primary teachers said distribution of dry ration has been shoddy since the last academic year and students did not receive any for almost the whole year.
Vijay Kombe, general secretary of Maharashtra State Primary Teachers Association from Wardha, said, "Teachers were told to distribute the entire year's ration in March-April. The same situation is unfolding now. Rice and pulses, if given on time, will give some nutrition to the child in rural areas even if schools are closed."
A senior government official dealing with the scheme said, "For the summer vacation of 47 days in April-May-June, funds have been allocated and soon rural students will get it in their accounts. This process has not been possible in urban areas. Court cases against the process led to the delay which is expected to be addressed by next month."
The official added that for 42 working days in June and July, rural students were given dry ration.
In the urban areas, there has been no such distribution in this academic year, so far.
Mahendra Ganpule, spokesperson for Maharashtra Schools Headmasters' Forum said the midday meal was a huge draw for rural students. "School hours have been reduced in the pandemic, and cooking and eating in a group is best avoided.
Hence, the scheme has been revised to a take-home ration. But, the government should ensure that it provides the meal or the ration," he added.
