VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Delay in release of funds between the years 2010-11 and 2014-15 virtually left the ambitious Mid Day Meal scheme defunct in parts of Jammu and Kashmir affecting 1.31 lakh children in Kathua and Poonch districts alone.
A team of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India found that Rs. 331.82 crore were retained beyond periods ranging from one month to 13 months during the years 2010-11 to 2014-15.
And, this happened due to CAPD refusing to allow lifting of food grains as per allocation because of non-payment of their pending handling and transportation bills of Rs. 1.17 crore for 2010-11, the CAG report stated.
The Chief Education Officer, Kathua admitted that the treasury could not clear certain bills due to non-receipt of funds by them.
According to CAG report, in 90 selected schools, each of Kashmir and Jammu Divisions, Rs. 1.02 crore and Rs. 2.90 lakh respectively were spent by raising loan from local funds, borne by teachers and on credit from shopkeepers during 2010-11 to 2014-15. Despite this, the meals could not be provided to children of such schools on all school days from 2010-11 to 2014-15.
The test-check also showed that the school authorities diverted local funds of the schools towards running of Mid Day Meals scheme.
In Srinagar, Kupwara, Leh and Kargil districts of Kashmir region, Rs. 1.76 crore was diverted from school local funds to cooking cost component of the MDM scheme during 2010-11. Similarly, in Jammu region, funds to the extent of Rs. 7.84 crore were spent out of the school local funds on cooking cost component during 2010-11 despite sufficient fund balances of Rs 11.91 crore available with the Department at the close of year 2010-11.
An expenditure of Rs. 3.61 crore, towards honorarium to cook-cum-helpers in Jammu region, was met out of the school local funds during 2010-11.
The diversion of school local funds towards MDMS was irregular and deprived children of various activities for which the amount was received by the school authorities. In reply to the CAG, the schools stated that for keeping the scheme alive they were constrained to divert school funds.
The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), was launched in August 1995 by the Government of India as a national programme. The Scheme aims at enhancing enrolment, retention, attendance and simultaneously improve nutritional levels among children studying in classes I to V in a Government, Government aided or local body schools. The Scheme is also applicable for children studying in centres run under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) Scheme.
226 teachers worked for MDM in 180 schools
As per Mid day Meals guidelines (Quality and Safety Aspects) the teachers under no circumstances were to be assigned responsibilities that would impede or interfere with learning.
The CAG team, however, noticed that in 180 test-checked schools, 226 teachers were involved in running MDM scheme by devoting time ranging between one to full office hours, thus affecting the teaching/learning side of the education system adversely. “The school incharges also confirmed that involvement of teachers in running MDM scheme had affected teaching in schools,” the CAG report states.
