Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 17 2009:
Intended on ensuring proper implementation of the mid-day meal scheme, the State government has reportedly issued strong directives to ensure that targeted children enjoy the 21 days-a-month food provision failing which material and financial assistance for the next month would be held up.
An official source said that following complaints of some institutions not complying with the stipulation for provision of food under the mid-day meal scheme for not less than 200 days a year and 21 days every month instructions had been issued to hold back material and financial assistance to purchase dish items (cereals/vegetables) to schools found violating the norms.
Informing that proposals had been made for sanctioning an amount of about Rs 2.90 crores to purchase and supply the dish items for serving with the cooked food to primary and upper primary school students of the State for a duration of three months, the source explained that the said amount would be distributed to the schools through the Deputy Commissioners of the districts concerned as advance payment.
Plans are also afoot for releasing an advance amount of Rs 2.22 crores as salary of the cooks and to purchase fire-woods, the source maintained while adding that there might be slight variation in paying transportation charge of mid-day meal rice from the Food and Civil Supplies
godown.
It is said that against the current transportation charge for a quintal of rice at a uniform amount of Rs 125, the rate with regard to the valley districts is likely to be lesser than that of the hills.
The official source further confided that an amount of Rs 15 lakh for a three month period would be released soon to the DCs concerned as transport cost.