Due to hike in prices of food items, the central Government has increased cooking cost per student by 7.5 per cent under Midday Meal Scheme.
Apart from this, schools will be given additional funds on the purchase of non-subsidised lPG cylinder. The additional expense on the scheme will be shared in the ratio of 75:25 between central and state governments, said Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan state project additional director RK Kunwar on Wednesday. This decision will be implemented after July 1, 2013.
SSA state project joint director in-charge Pravendra Singh Bisht said that the education department has received a letter from Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and literacy, MDMS division which revealed that the central government has increased cooking cost allowance to Rs 3. 44 from Rs 3.11 per student for primary school and to Rs 5.00 from Rs 4.65 per student for junior high school for 2013-14. Moreover, as of now, gas agencies provide nine subsidised cylinders to the schools for preparing food under MDMS. There are several schools in the state where number of students is 300 or more. In view of this, central government has decided to provide additional funds to the schools for purchasing non-subsidised cylinders from the agency.
Bisht further said that as per the report received from the district education officers, food is being prepared under MDMS as per government norms in all the 17, 761 government schools and government aided schools of the state.