After ISKCON, more non-Government organisations (NGOs) might get chance to manage Mid Day Meal (MDM) in the Government schools of Jharkhand. This will focus of establishing centralised kitchen with the help of such NGOs. State Primary Education Director Mamata on Friday said that she will suggest this concept in a meeting scheduled with MDM State players in the second week of December.
“An NGO named, Now Foundation is already coordinating the centralised kitchen process by investing their corporate social responsibility fund in Government schools of Maharashtra and Gujarat. It ensures fresh and hot meal to the students. After this upcoming meeting, we would suggest the plan into the budget,” Mamta said.
Mamta along with Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) MDM Director Gaya Prasad and MHRD (Finance) Deputy Secretary Anil Kakria analysed and discussed ideas to be incorporated in the next financial year plan for MDM in East zone States including Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh at a two-day workshop which concluded in the State capital on Friday.
MHRD has decided to consider the district wise monitoring report of each State from 2014-15 financial year. “Till now only State level reports were considered,” said Gaya Prasad.
The Ministry has felt the need for employees into MDM management and evaluation. It has also decided to send raw food samples of MDM to laboratories like Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Prasad said, “Each school will have to send food samples to the labs. It will help in knowing the food quality.”
The MHRD MDM Director stressed on beginning a Mobile Monitoring System which would take daily update of MDM in ever school through an automatic call made by five service providers set up at centralized call centre across the nation. This system according to Prasad would help in monitoring and evaluating the MDM quality mechanism on daily basis. “The phone numbers of school management committee members will be mentioned in this mobile calling technique,” maintained Prasad.
MHRD officials are also initiating to concentrate on MDM distribution in district unaided schools wherein around 25 percent seats are reserved for Economically Weaker Section and Minority students.