Action over failure of lunch scheme

Lucknow: Teachers and principals of more than 100 government-run primary schools in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district will face action for irregularities in the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme, an official said on Saturday.

"These teachers are under scanner for not providing regular lunch to their students under the MDM scheme," official in-charge of basic education in Etawah Naresh Verma said.

He said an inquiry has been initiated against the teachers, who would either be suspended or sacked, depending upon their involvement in the anomalies.

Violation

The anomalies in the MDM scheme came to the fore during the ongoing inspections in the district schools by basic education authorities.

"We found that schools in Sarsainawar village of Etawah, about 250 kilometres from here, [had not been] providing lunch to their students for the last three months," Verma said.

Schools in Takha village of the district were not following the prescribed diet plan under the MDM. The scheme states that every child should be provided with minimum 300 calories of energy and 8-12 grams of protein for a minimum period of 200 days, Verma pointed out.

18.6m students

About 150,000 schools and over 18.6 million students are covered under the MDM scheme in Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme, lunch is provided to students till Class 8.

The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, also known as Mid-Day Meal Programme, was launched by the central government August 15, 1995. Its objective is to boost universalisation of primary education and improve nutritional status of children.