Punjab Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla on Sunday rubbished reports regarding foodgrains and amount of cooking cost not being provided to the beneficiary school children under the mid day meal scheme, saying, that there was “no iota of truth in this”.
Terming the media reports “totally false and fabricated”, Singla said that the State Government has distributed foodgrains up to June 30 and the cooking cost up to May 31 among the 15.79 lakh beneficiary students as per the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development after sudden imposition of lockdown in the wake of unprecedented crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“Even, the inquiry conducted to find about the truth about the non-availability of foodgrains and the amount of cooking costs to the school children belonging to districts Fazilka, Jalandhar and Moga cited in the news has categorically revealed that all these children too have been provided the foodgrains and amount of cooking cost up to June 30 and May 31 respectively,” said Singla.
He said: “Moreover, due to unprecedented situation, the foodgrains and cooking cost is being distributed to the beneficiary students instead of fresh cooked food, hence it is quite natural that we have to bear with the situation as far as the nutritional value of Mid Day Meal is concerned.”
The Minister suggested the media “to refrain from publishing such stories on the basis of un-confirmed as well as misleading information by some vested interests”.
Divulging further details about the factual status report, the Minister said that the amount of cooking cost to the tune of Rs 37.26 crore had already been released, of which, Rs 23 crore had been transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiary students, and the remaining sum of Rs 14 crore is still lying pending with the respective schools for want of opening of students’ bank accounts.
Taking note of the problems and suggestions raised by District Education Officers (Elementary Education), the State Government had repeatedly taken up the issue with the Central Government on June 10, July 2, July 23, seeking approval for either cash payment of cooking cost while delivering supply of foodgrains to the students or transferring the same into the bank accounts of the parents of the beneficiary students, he said.
“The MHRD has repeatedly been urged to take an immediate decision on the issue, but the MHRD officials say that being a policy decision, it would be taken for the entire country.
The MHRD has received such references from other states also. It seems that taking into account the apprehensions of financial embezzlement in the distribution of cash or transfer of money to the bank accounts of the parents, the MHRD is yet to take a final decision,” said the Minister adding that the Punjab Government is waiting for the MHRD guidelines and would promptly execute in the best interest of the beneficiary students whenever the guidelines are received.
Singla maintained that there was sufficient stock of foodgrains up to June 30 and the Central Government has further allocated 11974 MT for the second quarter, that is July 1 to September 30, which is under the process of lifting.
“The bills, amounting to Rs 70.78 crore, have been presented in the district treasury, Mohali.
The amount is sufficient for the cooking cost up to the period of August 15, 2020,” said the Minister reiterating that the Punjab Government was committed to execute Mid Day Meal scheme in letter and spirit.