Poor records, lack of gloves hit Mid-day Meal Scheme in UP

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Inadequacy in record maintenance and non-availability of gloves and aprons for cooks have emerged as major shortcomings in the implementation of the Mid-day Meal Scheme in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, the Parliament was informed on Monday. Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, in a written reply, said that social audit of the Mid-day Meal, given under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), showed inadequacy in record maintenance in districts of Uttar Pradesh such as Sitapur, Lakhimpur Khiri, Mau, Gonda, and Balrampur.

Non-availability of gloves and aprons for cooks was identified as the major shortcoming in districts Lakhimpur and Hardoi, the Minister said in reply to a question by Ruchi Vira of Samajwadi Party. Minister Chaudhary said that Uttar Pradesh has reported that under the PM POSHAN Scheme, social audit was conducted in 1,500 schools for the years 2022-23 and in 1,575 schools for the year 2023-24, in all 75 districts as per the guidelines laid by the Central government; and the process for 2024-25 is underway. He said under PM POSHAN, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), every local authority, or any other authority or body, authorised by the State Government, is supposed to conduct periodic social audits on the functioning of the Scheme.

He said that the Mid-Day Meal Rules, 2015 provide for mandatory testing of food samples by Government Food Research Laboratory or any laboratory accredited or recognised by law to ensure that the meals meet nutritional standards and quality. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is given the responsibility for the issue of food grains for the meals. The FCI appoints a Nodal Officer for each State to take care of various problems in the supply of food grains under the PM POSHAN Scheme, he said.