Schools in Pune have been facing complaints about the quality of food provided to students through the government’s Mid Day Meal program. In response, the government has decided to switch gears and have school management select local women’s self-help groups or organizations to provide meals instead of awarding contracts to centralized kitchens.
The Mid Day Meal program, which serves students from classes 1 to 8, has been running since 2019. However, concerns have been raised about the quality of food and the lack of compliance with government guidelines. It was also found that some organizations were given extensions even after their agreements had expired, which goes against official policies.
To address these issues, the State Government has approved changes to ensure better implementation of the program and decentralize control. Existing agreements with centralized kitchens will remain valid until they expire, but no further extensions will be granted. The daily allocation for food expenses will now be transferred to the School Management Committee, which will work with selected self-help groups and organizations to provide meals as per government-prescribed recipes.
The selection of self-help groups and organizations will require a majority decision by the School Management Committee, and agreements must be renewed annually. Detailed instructions on selection criteria, payment records, and oversight will be issued by the Director of Primary Education in coordination with the School Management Committee.
Overall, these changes aim to improve the quality and efficiency of the Mid Day Meal program in Pune schools, ensuring that students receive nutritious meals as intended.
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