Per unit cost of midday meal unrealistic: Parliamentary panel
26 Aug 2013 5:38 AM IST
The per unit cost of midday meal fixed at Rs 3.11-Rs 4.65 is unrealistic as even a bottle of drinking water costs Rs 10, a parliamentary panel has said warning of more Bihar-like tragedies if not set right.
The Committee on Empowerment of Women had recommended in the Lok Sabha that the per unit cost of midday meal being served in schools should be fixed on a more realistic basis. It also urged the government to regularly review the implementation of the scheme in terms of per unit cost, calorie contents and mode of preparation of midday meals.
The panel said it was surprised that the Bihar tragedy took place despite various arrangements made by the Department of School Education and Literacy, HRD Ministry and block and local bodies for the implementation of the scheme.
Twenty-three children, most under 10 years of age, had died after eating mid-day meal at a school on 16 July in Saran district of Bihar. The cooking oil used was suspected to be laced with insecticide. According to the panel, it indicates that the various committees constituted for the purpose of executing the scheme were not taking their task seriously.
The Committee on Empowerment of Women had recommended in the Lok Sabha that the per unit cost of midday meal being served in schools should be fixed on a more realistic basis. It also urged the government to regularly review the implementation of the scheme in terms of per unit cost, calorie contents and mode of preparation of midday meals.
The panel said it was surprised that the Bihar tragedy took place despite various arrangements made by the Department of School Education and Literacy, HRD Ministry and block and local bodies for the implementation of the scheme.
Twenty-three children, most under 10 years of age, had died after eating mid-day meal at a school on 16 July in Saran district of Bihar. The cooking oil used was suspected to be laced with insecticide. According to the panel, it indicates that the various committees constituted for the purpose of executing the scheme were not taking their task seriously.
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