The State government on Wednesday directly deposited Rs.209.68 crore into the Director of General Education’s single nodal account in connection with the midday meal scheme, said Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty on Thursday.
It included Rs.132.9 crore, the funds sanctioned by the Union government a day before the 2022-23 financial year ended for its share of the midday meal scheme arrears for the 2021-22 yea, and the proportionate State share of Rs.76.78 crore. The government had issued an order in this regard on September 8.
The Minister said to prevent disruptions to the scheme, 50% of the State government’s component of Rs.163.15 crore for the scheme for the current year, that is Rs.81.57 crore, too had been released into the single nodal account in the name of the DGE on Wednesday.
With this, the arrears to schools for June and July could be provided in full and that for August in part. As soon, as the State received the Union government share, the remaining funds too would be distributed without delay, he said.
Delay in release of funds for the scheme for the past three months had spiralled into a crisis, with headteachers of some schools claiming the money spent by them on keeping the scheme going was burning a hole in their pockets.
The Minister had earlier said the State had to receive Rs.284.31 crore as the Union government share for the scheme this year. Along with the State component of Rs.163.15 crore, the total project estimate was Rs.447.46 crore. Of this, the State should receive Rs.170.59 crore as the first instalment of the Union government share. This money had not been sanctioned till now. The Union government was claiming non-release of funds into the DGE’s single nodal account for not sanctioning the funds for this year, he had said.
As far as the honorarium for midday meal cooks went, the Union government had decided to provide an honorarium of Rs.1,000 a month, which included the Central component of Rs.600 and the State’s share of Rs.400. However, the State government paid the midday meal cooks Rs.12,000-Rs.13,500 a month. With the State awaiting the Central share, except for Rs.1,000 that was the Central and State share given every month, rest of the money for the months of June, July, and August had been given as honorarium. In all, 13,611 would get this benefit, the Minister’s statement said.
Meanwhile, at a press conference, Mr. Sivankutty said a study would be conducted and report prepared on expanding the midday meal scheme in keeping with changing times. A meeting of school midday meal scheme committees would be held in the coming days. Committees involving local bodies and those taking a keen interest in the scheme implementation would be formed. The possibility of using corporate social responsibility funds would also be explored.
He also criticised claims by some school authorities that the scheme would be discontinued. “There is no question of it. The scheme is a responsibility of heads of schools. If anyone has a problem in implementing the scheme, they should inform the General Education department.”
He also said it was not out of the ordinary for the scheme to be run for two to three months on credit given by shops.
