Imphal, November 10 2008: Implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India in Manipur, specially in the hill districts has been, to say the least, a complete failure.

Taking serious note of the failure to effectively implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme the Ministry deputed an Assistant Professor from the National University of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi to take a first hand account of the matter in the last week of October.

Established under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the National University of Educational Planning has been entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme all over the country.

Accompanied by the Assistant Director of Mid-Day Meal scheme implementation of the State Government and other officials, the Assistant Professor inspected the manner of implementing the scheme in some schools in Chandel and Kangpokpi.

According to an official of the State Government related to implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the inspection was conducted from October 21 to 26 .

Even though all the schools under the District Councils have not been covered, the inspection was conducted in some select schools following report that the benefit of the scheme has reached the targeted school students, the official explained.

Quoting the report of the inspection, the official said the failure of implementing the scheme properly in the schools of the hill districts of Manipur has been confirmed.

Preparations are on to submit a copy of the report to the State Government, the official said, adding that the National University of Educational Planning would also forward a copy of the report to the Central Government.

Based on the report of the inspection, very soon cash books, student attendance register and stock register will be provided to all schools and Mid-Day Meal cards to all the school children to find out whether they are getting the benefit of the scheme or not, the official disclosed, while expressing confidence that this step would ensure proper implementation of the scheme.

In the light of the report that the benefits of the scheme have not reached students, the State Government has also started discussing the possibility of supplying the rice quota of the Mid-Day Meal scheme through the ZEOs concerned instead of the earlier arrangement of providing the rice quota of the schools under the District Councils through the respective Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The new measure of providing the rice through the ZEOs would help in proper monitoring of the scheme, the official said.

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