The rise in the prices of vegetables, pulses and edible oils has posed a challenge to the implementing agencies of the Midday Meal (MDM) scheme in schools across the State.
With the prices of onion and pulses already skyrocketing, teachers and NGOs in charge of preparing MDMs now find it tough to manage with the sum allocated to them by the Government under the scheme.
While the price of pigeon pea (arhar dal) has crossed `110 per kg, mustard oil is being sold at more than `100 per litre in the market. Similarly, onion is being sold at `45 per kg.
According to sources, over 56,000 students of primary and upper primary schools in the State are being provided lunch in the State.
While NGOs have been assigned to provide meals in 19,661 schools, school managing committees are providing the meal in 40,000 schools. Other organisations such as Akshay Patra Foundation and Manna Trust are also providing meals at a large number of schools.
The implementing agencies are being given `4.4 per meal for lower primary schools of which the Centre’s contribution is `2.69 and the State’s 90 paisa.
Similarly, for students of upper primary schools, `6.3 is being spent per head. While the Centre provides `4.4, the State gives `1.34 per meal.
The State Government has made a provision to run the scheme for 232 days in a year.
While rice and dal combination is being provided to students on Mondays and Thursdays, a dish of rice and soybean nugget curry is served on Tuesdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the students get rice and egg curry in their meals.