Mid-day meal: Govt falters

LUCKNOW: The UP government has once again failed miserably failed to ensure proper implementation of the mid-day meal scheme. The government had assured a court that the scheme would be implemented in all the 94,000 schools by September 1. Though it had released Rs 37 crore for the purpose, no steps were taken to ensure proper implemtation of the scheme.
Talking to TOI, an official of the education department said that funds for the mid-day meal scheme were arranged by dovetailing funds of other departments.Had the scheme been implemented on time over 1.70 crore children would have been benefited, the officer said adding that after coming to power chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had announced that he would personally ensure proper implementation of the mid-day meal scheme. Similar announcements were made by former chief minister Mayawati in 2003, he added.
When pressure for scheme''s implementation was mounted from various quarters, the government announced that initially the scheme would be launched in 16 districts. But following court''s directives for covering the entire state under the scheme, chief secretary convened a meeting of officials concerned to discuss the issue. The meeting too resolved to launch the scheme in the entire state at one go.
On the directives of the chief secretary, divisional commissioners held meetings in their divisions, ordering panchayat bodies to ensure implementation of the scheme in their respective areas. The basic education department, which was entrusted with the task of implementing the scheme, got in touch with gram pradhans, directing them to ensure preparation of food at village-level, said the official. However, as the government''s suggestion to seek services of women groups to prepare meals did not found favour with them, the schme could not be launched in September, the officer added.
Meanwhile,Shashi Kiron, a deputy director of basic education, informed TOI that this scheme would be implemented by the end of this month. The delay, she said, was caused because of late arrival of funds from the Centre.