The Hindu : Front Page : Centre raises mid-day meal aid

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Saturday, Jun 17, 2006

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Centre raises mid-day meal aid

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday enhanced the Central assistance to States and Union Territories for meeting the cooking cost of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme from Rs. one to Rs. 1.50 a child a school day.

The increased assistance is, however, subject to mandatory contribution of a minimum of 50 paise by the States with an overall cost norm of Rs. 2 and provision of improved nutritional norm, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after the CCEA meeting.

In the case of the North-Eastern States, the ratio would be 90:10 between the Centre and the State. The existing level of Central assistance towards the cooking cost would be maintained till States contributed their share.

Kitchen-cum-stores

The CCEA also approved assistance to States to construct kitchen-cum-stores in a phased manner under the scheme in about six lakh primary schools at a cost of about Rs. 60,000 a unit where convergence with other programmes was not feasible. But States have been asked to continue the construction through collaborations.

The committee also approved assistance for cooking and kitchen devices at the rate of Rs. 5,000 a school in a phased manner and continuance of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme as a Centrally-sponsored one. The revised scheme will take effect immediately.

Universalising education

The ambitious scheme is part of the strategy to universalise elementary education by boosting enrolment, attendance and retention, besides improving the nutritional status of about 12 crore children at the primary stage. Applicable in nine lakh primary schools, the budgetary outlay for the scheme this financial year is Rs. 4,300 crore, making it the world's largest school feeding programme.

The Supreme Court in November 2004 directed all States and Union Territories to provide mid-day meals to primary school students by January 2005. Since then the Centre has been funding the scheme that has also been instrumental in employment generation, particularly for women belonging to disadvantaged sections.Mr. Mukherjee said the CCEA also approved the opening of 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas and gave ex-post facto approval for regularisation of 84 more such schools opened in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

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