Question : Mid Day Meal Scheme

(a) whether any financial assistance is provided for the construction of kitchencum-
store for cooking and safe storage of foodgrains in the schools under the
Mid Day Meal Scheme and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the number of students benefited, people employed and details of budget
allocated by the Government to the States under the Mid Day Meal along with
the cooking cost per day per children reimbursed/incurred during the last three
years, State and year-wise;
(c) the number of complaints of irregularities/corruption, reported in the Mid Day
Meal Scheme during the last three years along with the action taken thereon in
the States, State/UT-wise and year-wise etc.;
(d) whether the Government has set up any monitoring mechanism to ensure that
quality food is served to students and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to revise the guidelines related to Mid Day
Meal Scheme and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 227
for 14.03.2016 raised by SHRIMATI P.K.SREEMATHI TEACHER AND SHRI
HARIOM SINGH RATHORE regarding Mid Day Meal Scheme.

(a): Financial assistance is provided for construction of kitchen-cum-stores as per the
prescribed funding pattern, which has been revised w.e.f. 1.4.2015 and is 90:10
between Centre and States for North Eastern and 3 Himalayan States, 100% for
Union Territories and 60:40 for all other States. The Central Government has
released Rs. 8028.48 crore for construction of 10.06 lakh kitchen-cum-store till 29th
February 2016. The State-wise details of sanction and construction of kitchen-cumstores
are given at Annexure-I.
(b): The number of children covered under the scheme, the number of cook-cum-helpers
engaged and details of funds released by the Central Government to the States in the
last three years are given at Annexure-II, Annexure-III and Annexure-IV respectively.
The Cooking Cost per day per child for Mid Day Meal Scheme during the last three
year is as under:
<pre>
(in Rs.)
Year Primary Upper Primary
2013-14 3.34 5.00
2014-15 3.59 5.38
2015-16 3.86 5.78
</pre>
(c): 139 complaints of irregularities/corruption have been reported in the Mid Day Meal
Scheme during the last three years. The State-wise and year-wise status of these
complaints and action taken thereon during the last three years are given at Annexure-
V.
(d): In order to ensure effective implementation of the MDMS, an elaborate monitoring
mechanism exists at both State and the Central levels. At the national level, an
Empowered Committee, headed by Minister of Human Resource Development
(HRD), a National level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee (NSMC) and
Programme Approval Board (PAB) monitor the Scheme and suggest policy measures
for effective implementation of the Scheme. At the State level, there is a State level
Steering–cum-Monitoring Committee headed by Chief Secretary and at the District
Level, there is a District Level Committee under the Chairpersonship of senior most
Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha to monitor the scheme. Joint Review Missions
(JRM) consisting of experts also review the scheme through field visits. The Central
Government have issued updated guidelines on Food, Safety and Hygiene on
February, 2015 covering aspects related to procurements, storage, cooking, serving
and waste disposal of food so as to ensure quality of meals being served in schools.
Further the Government have also notified Mid Day Meal Rules 2015 under the
National Food Security Act. The rules inter alia provide for testing of meals through
Government recognized laboratories.
(e): The Guidelines are revised from time to time as per suggestion/inputs from various
stakeholders. There is no immediate proposal to revise the guideline of Mid Day Meal
Scheme.
*************