Chief Secretary (CS) RS Sharma suggested the members of State-level Steering Committee of Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme to adopt smokeless oven for cooking MDM.
He also advised them to modify the mechanism of door-step delivery of food grains in this MDM process. There should be buffer stock of food grains in schools for MDM, he said. He was speaking these words during a meeting held with State Rural Development, Social Welfare, Human Resources Development (HRD) and Jharkhand State Education Project (JSEP) officers on Friday.
The committee members were directed to instruct district officials in monitoring the food supply system in the respective districts and report the problems regularly to the headquarters. CS said that the payment system of para-workers in the state should to be delivered through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). For smooth functioning of MDM, he asked the officials to maintain a balance between accounting, supply chain management and cooking factors in MDM. HRD Principal Secretary K Vidyasagar presented the objectives, management structure and approved size of programme for 2013-14 of MDM. He stressed on improved hygienic practices through education in terms of hand-washing, safe drinking water and other health benefits for supplementing this scheme.
The CS also held the 34th Executive Committee meeting of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) today wherein Finance SecretaryAP Singh, JEPC State Project Director Mamta, Drinking Water and Sanitation Department Additional Chief Secretary Sudhir Prasad, HRD Principal Secretary K Vidyasagar and UNICEF State Head Job Zachariah were present. Ministry of Human Resources Department Director presented the progress report on SSA. He said that Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) in Jharkhand has done a commendable job.
CS focused on pre-fabricated structures in civil works in interior areas instead of constructing patent buildings. Vidyasagar said that a growth has been reported in elementary schools, percentage increase in the share of girls’ enrolment and decrease in annual average drop-out rate. A third party evaluation of programme was recommended by CS for special training of school students, inclusive education such as — home based education, escort allowances, parental counseling, training on Braille and signs and training of school management committee members. He also recommended including basic hygiene policy in the curriculum textbooks.