In accordance with the announcement of Chief Minister Raman Singh, Women Self-help Groups (SHGs) will be accorded the responsibility of operating Midday meal scheme in all the primary and middle schools in rural areas of the Chhattisgarh.
At the district level operation and monitoring committee meeting, Collector Thakur Ramsingh directed officials to ensure implementation of his directives in all schools within three days. At present, of the total 2,712 schools of the district, in 2621 schools women SHGs and in 91 schools other agencies are operating the Midday meal scheme.
In the meeting, District Education Officer (DEO) Hiradhar said that Midday meal scheme is being operated in 1,854 primary and 858 middle schools in the district. 3,15,186 students were benefited from this scheme.
Under the scheme, the number of cooks is in the ratio registered in the schools. 8,215 cooks are engaged in the district and they are getting Rs 1,200 honorarium per month. In 2013 schools of the district kitchen sheds have been constructed and kitchen sheds are under construction in 127 schools. The Collector also instructed to take action against the agencies that have left the construction work incomplete.
The Collector asked all the Block Education officers to prepare new menu for Midday meal in place of the old ones. This menu will be prescribed at school-level. He instructed to write the menu in every school byJanuary 10. The Chief Medical and Health Officer informed the meeting with the information of regular health examination of the students and of the distribution of iron and frolic acid tablets to the students of class 6 to 12. The Collector instructed to review the continuous health check up of the children.
The Collector directed to conduct the school management committee meeting on a regular basis in every month in these meetings, midday meal, health examination, distribution of iron tablets, school dress and textbooks should be reviewed. District Panchayat CEO Neeraj Bansod, municipal corporation commissioner Avnish Sharan, additional collector Neelkhant Tekam, assistant collector Ranbir Sharma and officers of departments concerned were present at the meeting.