Central Government Raises Concerns Over Utilization of Food for Mid-Day Meal Scheme Amid Data Discrepancies

Yavatmal: Despite nutrition rice given to schools running out every day; the percentage of students eating every day is only 50 to 70 percent. The reality has been revealed on the central government's 'Mid Day Meal' portal. It has come to light that this is happening in schools across the country, including Maharashtra. Data on the portal shows that more than 40 percent of schools do not even distribute nutritious food.  On the other hand, schools have claimed that they feed all students; however,  there is a delay in filling the data. 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Poshanshakti Nirman Yojana, food is cooked daily for students of classes I to VIII. It is mandatory for every school to fill the number of students who have been given this diet on the MDM portal every day. The data, which is filed daily, is sent from the state level to the central government's automated monitoring system. The central government has verified schools that are eligible for nutrition and schools that fill in the information on the 'automated monitoring system'.

Director of Education orders verification
On March 28, not a single school in Maharashtra filled up nutrition information on the portal. Only 70 percent of schools have filled in the data in the last full week. On March 27, only 73 percent of schools distributed food. Taking note of this, the Centre has asked the Directorate of Education. On March 26, Director of Education Sharad Gosavi directed all education officers to verify whether every school fills the daily information daily.