(a) whether the Government has taken any decision to include NGOs and private organizations
to supply food under Mid Day Meal Scheme and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise ;
and
(b) whether the Government has taken into account the concern of workers currently working
in the scheme and if so, the details thereof including the remedial steps taken in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)
(a): The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented in
partnership with the States/UTs. The overall responsibility for providing cooked and nutritious
mid-day meal to the eligible children lies with the State Governments and Union Territory
Administrations. Apart from school-based kitchens, the MDM guidelines provide for Centralized
kitchens run by NGOs for urban areas where there is space constraint. Recently, Mid-Day Meal
Rules-2015 were amended and notified vide GSR No.471(E) dated 16th May, 2017. The
amendment provides that every school shall have the facility for cooking meal in hygienic
manner and the schools in urban areas and in identified rural areas which have good road
connectivity and viable cluster of schools, for the purpose of leveraging efficiency gains, may
use the facility of centralised kitchens for cooking meals wherever required in accordance with
the guidelines issued by the Central Government and the meal shall be served to children at
respective school only. The State/UT-wise number of schools covered by NGOs is given at
Annexure.
(b): MDM Guidelines envisage engagement of one cook-cum-helper in a school with up to 25
students, two cook-cum-helpers in a school with 26 to 100 students and one additional cookcum-
helper for every addition of up to 100 students. The cook-cum-helpers are engaged by
respective States/UTs as per above norms and their specific need. The Revised Guidelines 2017
for engagement of Civil Society Organizations/Non-Govt. Organisations (CSO/NGO) in MDM
Scheme provides that “The State may ensure that, the cook-cum-helpers already engaged in the
schools are not displaced in case of expansion of centralized kitchen. All efforts should be made
to retain them as helpers for serving of meals, cleaning of utensils etc. in the school.”