Shillong, July 29: The Meghalaya School Welfare Development Association Central Body sent memorandum to Secretary Department of School Education Government of India regarding major issues and recommendations for strengthening the implementation of the PM-POSHAN Scheme in the State of Meghalaya.
The Memorandum was sent to Shri. T.K.Anil Kumar, IAS Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy Ministry of Education, Government of India New Delhi, through Shri.Vijay Kumar Mantri , IAS Commissioner and Secretary Education Department Government of Meghalaya.
In the MSWDA-CB in the memorandum want the Government of India through the Government of Meghalaya regarding certain practical issues affecting the implementation of the PM-POSHAN Scheme in the State of Meghalaya.
The PM-POSHAN Scheme has played a vital role in improving the nutritional status of school-going children while promoting enrolment, attendance, and retention in schools. However, based on extensive feedback received from member schools across the State, several practical challenges have emerged which require policy intervention to ensure the effective and equitable implementation of the Scheme.
The major issues flag off by the organsation, the inadequate conversion cost, at present existing conversion cost of ₹6.78 per student per day for Lower Primary and ₹10.17 per student per day for Upper Primary is no longer sufficient due to the continuous rise in the prices of vegetables, pulses, edible oil, spices, fuel, and other essential cooking materials.
Further, owing to the hilly terrain, heavy rainfall, adverse climatic conditions, and of suitable land, many schools in Meghalaya are unable to establish kitchen gardens. Consequently, schools are compelled to procure all food items from the local market at prevailing prices, resulting in substantially higher expenditure for meal preparation.
The difference in conversion cost and rice allocation the difference in conversion cost and rice allocation. The existing norms prescribing the allocation of 100 grams of rice per child per day for Lower Primary students and 150 grams of rice per child per day for Upper Primary students, together with different rates of conversion cost, are impractical in actual implementation.
The expenditure on vegetables, pulses, cooking oil, condiments, fuel LPG, firewood, and other essential ingredients, as well as the cost of cooking and serving meals, remains substantially the same for both Lower Primary and Upper Primary students. Consequently, the differential conversion cost does not correspond to the actual expenditure incurred by schools.
Moreover, the allocation of 100 grams of rice per child per day for Lower Primary students is inadequate to provide a sufficient midday meal during the lunch break. Feedback received by the Association from students indicates that they would prefer receiving an adequate quantity of rice to ensure a proper lunch.
Inadequate Honorarium for Cook-cum-Helpers, the present honorarium of ₹2,000
per month, payable only for 10 months, is inadequate in view of the increasing cost of living and the essential services rendered by Cook-cum-Helpers. A suitable enhancement of the honorarium and extension of payment to all 12 months is therefore necessary.
Administrative Burden on Schools, all Schools are required to maintain attendance registers, stock registers, utilisation certificates, books of accounts, inspection records, and various reports under the Scheme. These responsibilities impose a significant administrative burden, particularly in the absence of sanctioned non-teaching or administrative staff.
The challenges faced by schools with large enrolment, schools with large student enrolment face considerable challenges in implementing the Scheme effectively due to inadequate manpower, kitchen infrastructure, cooking utensils, storage facilities, and serving arrangements.
Preparing and serving meals to all students within the stipulated lunch break of 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. becomes extremely difficult with the existing manpower and infrastructure.
In Meghalaya, these challenges are further aggravated during the rainy season, when continuous rainfall makes it difficult for students to take their meals in open spaces.
Many schools do not have adequate covered dining facilities, resulting in inconvenience and disruption to the smooth implementation of the Scheme.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for the construction of common dining halls to provide a safe, hygienic, and weather-protected space where students can comfortably consume their meals, particularly during the monsoon season.
In light of the above, the Meghalaya Schools Welfare Development Association Central Body most respectfully recommends that the Government may kindly consider to revise the conversion cost under the PM-POSHAN Scheme in accordance with prevailing market prices.
Review the existing norms relating to rice allocation and conversion cost and provide a uniform and adequate quantity of rice for all students based on practical implementation.
Make special provisions for hilly and geographically difficult States such as, Meghalaya, where kitchen gardens are not feasible in many schools. Enhance the honorarium of Cook-cum-Helpers and extend payment from 10 months to 12 months.
Sanction non-teaching or administrative staff, or alternatively provide financial
assistance to schools for maintaining records, accounts, and documentation under the Scheme. Provide financial assistance for the construction of new kitchen-cum-store buildings for schools that had received kitchen sheds before 2010 under the earlier assistance of ₹60,000 per school, as these structures have become inadequate and outdated.
Provide financial assistance for the construction of common dining halls, particularly in hilly and high-rainfall States such as Meghalaya, to enable students to take their meals in a safe, hygienic, and weather-protected environment during the rainy season. This may be taken up along with assistance for kitchen-cum-store buildings, cooking utensils, storage facilities, and other essential infrastructure.
In view of the foregoing facts and practical challenges encountered in the POSHAN Scheme, the Meghalaya Schools Welfare Development CB) most respectfully submits this representation for In view of the foregoing facts and practical challenges encountered in the implementation of the PM-POSHAN Scheme.
In view of the foregoing facts and practical challenges encountered in the POSHAN Scheme, the Meghalaya Schools Welfare Development Central Body (MSWDA-CB) most respectfully submits this representation for the kind consideration of the Government of India.
Through appropriate policy interventions will significantly strengthen the implementation of the Scheme, ensure equitable and effective delivery of nutritional support, and further the objectives envisaged under the interventions will significantly strengthen the implementation of the Scheme, ensure equitable and effective delivery of nutritional support, and further the objectives envisaged under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
The organisation firmly believe that addressing the above issues through appropriate policy interventions will significantly strengthen the implementation of the Scheme, ensure equitable and effective delivery of nutritional support, and further the objectives envisaged under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
The organisation request the Secretary of Education Government of India to kindly consider the above recommendations favourably in the larger interest of ensuring better nutrition, health, and going children, particularly those studying in schools located in the hilly and in the larger interest of ensuring better nutrition, health, and welfare of school-going children, particularly those studying in schools located in the hilly a geographically challenging regions of Meghalaya.
The Memorandum was sign by the President Shri.H.M.Marbaniang, Shri. N. L. Marsiangbai Vice- President and Shri.D.Q.Kharbuli Secretary of the Meghalaya School Welfare Development Association Central Body.
